LASER & IPL HAIR REMOVAL

Katie Lewis The Clinic uses the Dynamix machine from the award winning company Lynton. The Dynamix is a Medical Grade Laser and IPL Machine used by the NHS and private hospitals across the UK.

Laser and Light Sources –

Since the late 1980s, lasers have been used for many applications in aesthetic photomedicine. In the mid 1990s, filtered broad band also known as Intense Pulse Light (IPL) light sources started to emerge.

The difference between Laser and IPL are IPL is a white light which is Non – coherent – Divergent – Many wavelengths – Laser is coherent – Non-divergent – single wavelength

Laser hair removal –  Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation –

Powerful, precise hair removal for deeper skin tones and dense hair, the remove LP1064 Nd:YAG is the go to technology for safety, treating dark skin tones, course stubborn hairs (hormonal hair bikini and underarms with deeper rooted follicles) delivering brief targeted pulses of heat which feels like an elastic band pinged on the skin or pinprick.

The ReMove LP1064 is a long pulsed Nd:YAG laser and has the longest wavelength of all the lasers commonly used for hair removal and as such shows a decreased affinity for absorption in the epidermal melanin. This reduced absorption results in less skin heating in comparison to other hair removal laser systems. Therefore there is a lower associated risk of epidermal damage and the ND:YAG is considered the only laser that is safe for use on Skin Type VI. The reduced melanin absorption also means that skin penetration depths are relatively high. This enables the laser energy to easily reach the hair bulb and bulge region and cause lethal follicular damage, resulting in long lasting hair reduction.

This system is much more safer and much more effective for darker skin tones because they are less attracted to pigment (melanin) in the top layer of the skin and penetrate deeper into tissue to target hair.

IPL – Intense Pulse Light –

The Remove-650 IPL Handpiece releases light in a broad spectrum, which consists of a range of different wavelengths from 625 to 1100 nanometres. All of these wavelengths are absorbed by melanin which then produces heat. This heat damages the hair follicle in such a way as to inhibit regrowth (It damages the stem cells in the bulge and the bulb) The hairs in the active stage will then fall out naturally within 1-3 weeks.

Skin type 6 cannot be treated with IPL we can treat this skin type with the LP1064 as explained above.

Hair re-growth should be expected approximately 4 – 8 weeks following treatment. Repeat treatment is recommended as soon as this new growth becomes evident. Thus a minimum of 4 weeks should elapse between treatments but the actual interval will vary with hair type and body location. Typically, follow up treatment for facial hair is every four to six weeks and follow up treatment for body areas is every 6 – 8 weeks. It is often advisable to lengthen the interval between treatments for the body areas after the first three sessions to ensure that treatment occurs at each stage of the hair growth cycle.

Treatment sensation of IPL and Laser hair removal differs but is commonly described of an elastic band pinged on the skin. Most clients on a scale of 1 – 10 (10 being most painful) place the level around a 4.

Before we proceed with treatment, a consultation will need to be booked to discuss medical history and check suitability for the treatment, also to create your personal treatment plan, a patch test will also be performed.

We need to identify hair colour in area to be treated and must be natural hair colour (bleach or coloured hair is not acceptable)

Hair must be present in the follicle for effective treatment. Therefore waxing, plucking, threading and depilatory creams are not advisable for a month priot to and during the treatment course.

Sun tanned skin will not be treated. There must be a minimum of 4 weeks since UV exposure and any change in skin colour must be completely dropped.

Fake tanned skin will not be treated. Fake tan must not have been applied within the past 10-14 days and it must be completely scrubbed off the area.

What to expect after treatment of laser and IPL – the skin may be immediately red after treatment the hair follicles may be swollen and raised this usually subsides within a few hours. Adverse reactions are rare but may include a small blister and temporary lightening or darkening of the skin.