Hair
Removal - before & after
Hair grows in cycles. At any given time, only
about one third of your hairs are active and
growing. Every 6-8 weeks the cycle shifts
and resting follicles start growing hairs
while active follicles shed their hair and
enter a dormant state. Only during the active
growing stage can the hair be permanently
removed with a light emitting device.
Hair removal devices can be categorized as
either lasers or IPL intense pulsed light
devices. Lasers are an older technology that
is being displaced by IPL. Firing a laser
emits all of its energy in a very brief burst
(think spike) that can be quite painful. (According
to one laser treatment center up to 70% of
their patients needed topical anesthesia.)
Hair removal lasers are also more likely to
cause burns and are sensitive to technician
error.
IPL devices emit filtered white light over
a much longer duration (think bell curve)
that treats a wider range of frequencies,
is more effective, safer, and less painful.
The pulse feels like a small rubber band snap.
For hair removal Surface uses IPL devices
exclusively.)
All light based hair removal devices (IPL-intense
pulsed light and lasers) rely on the absorption
of light energy by the hair shaft and follicle.
This nearly instant heating cauterizes the
small capillary that feeds the follicle, disabling
it and permanently preventing the follicle
from growing hair. Two things affect the success
of this procedure:
Dark skin contains the same pigment as the
hair shafts. This pigment is melanin and is
a very dark brown. The light devices used
for hair removal use filtered frequencies
that are absorbed more by the melanin in the
hair shaft than the surrounding skin. If the
skin is dark, it absorbs some of the light
before it gets to the hair. Less light energy
is delivered to the hair follicle and the
treatment is less effective. Because of this,
light skin and dark hair is the most effective
combination for hair removal and dark skin
and light hair is the least effective combination.
One way to overcome this limitation is to
darken the hair shaft artificially. We manufacture
a special spray that darkens the hair shaft
and makes the treatments more effective. This
works well on gray, blond and light brown
haired individuals.
Because the hair grows in cycles, multiple
treatments are necessary. Most people require
five to seven treatments spaced by the particular
hair cycle length, usually six to eight weeks
apart. This waiting time allows inactive hairs
to become active and start growing. It is
only when hair follicles are active that they
can be effectively treated.
Several problems can occur with light based
hair removal. The most common occurs when
the persons skin type or amount of pigment
is not measured accurately. Inaccurate skin
typing is the most common cause of burns with
any of these devices. Most clinics use a questionnaire
that guesses at the person's approximate skin
type. This method has been proven to be inaccurate
more than 70% of the time. Surface Medical
Spas use a spectrophotometer to accurately
determine the exact amount of pigment in the
skin. This method takes the guesswork out
of this crucial step in your treatment.
Problems with light type hair removal can
include redness, burning, scars and ineffective
treatments. These complications are rare with
the newer equipment and treatment.
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