Laser Hair Removal

Removing Unwanted Hair

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Unwanted hair can occur on men or women almost anywhere. On women the more common areas for removal are the lip and chin, underarms and bikini area and breasts.   The first thing for most woman to do before embarking on a removal program is to determine that the cause of the hair growth is not hormonal.   If you are experiencing an abnormal growth of thick hair on facial areas or if there are other possible symptoms of a hormonal imbalance such as irregular menstrual cycles, you should consult your physician to determine the underlying causes before you embark on a removal regimen. A hormonal source for hair growth can often be easily controlled with a pill, making later hair removal more effective and stopping the excess growth for the future.

There are a number of options for removal of unwanted hair.   Tweezing or plucking is the most common means of removing hair, aside from shaving.   Overall, this is not the best solution because repeated plucking can cause irritation in the hair follicle and, on darker-skinned women can result in increased pigmentation in these areas, and if done too aggressively can lead to scarring.   For the occasional hair problem, especially for the eyebrows, this is an O.K. solution.   Depilatory creams and lotions dissolve the hair at the base of the follicle.   They are most often used for widespread areas (like the legs), but can be problematic because in my experience, depilatory creams and lotions can often irritate the skin.   Waxing is one of the most popular solutions among my patients.

Waxing is used all types of excess hair from smaller areas like the eyebrows, to large areas like the legs. Be careful if you're using Retin-A type creams, alpha-hydroxy acids like glycolic acid, or facial treatments like peels-waxing can be harder on skin treated with these agents and result in irritation or superficial abrasions.   A disadvantage of waxing is that depending on the type of hair you have, waxing results should last from two to six weeks. Electrolysis uses low-level electricity to kill the hair follicles.  

On the upside, results last longer than with waxing and depilatories.   However, the process can be time consuming and costly.   Finding a skilled practitioner is key, because electrolysis performed incorrectly can cause pinpoint scarring.   I generally recommend electrolysis as the first choice for women with white or very blond hair , and for women who have areas with only a few isolated hairs.

Laser hair removal is very effective virtually any area of the body including the underarms, bikini area, lip, chin, jawline, legs, back, and stomach. I do not use lasers for removing eyebrow hair.   The laser exploits the difference in color between the hair shaft and the surrounding skin.

Therefore, it's best not to be tan when going for laser hair removal. Darker hair responds best, since the laser is able to 'see' dark hair the best.   Laser hair removal is not very effective on light blonde or white hair.   It's also ideal for treating large areas, and lots of my patients come in after having tried and failed electrolysis. Shaving bumps that can occur after shaving or waxing respond extremely well to laser treatment. These bumps often resolve before most of the hair in a given area is even gone.

before	6 months after 3 treatments

Please also visit The Hair Removal Journal website located at www.hairremovaljournal.org. The Hair Removal Journal is an informational resource for laser hair removal treatment options, pricing and provides a list of pre-qualified providers nationwide.

To answer your specific questions or schedule a consultation, call Dr. Bernstein today at 610-581-7400.