Laser hair removal

Laser is an intense, coherent (one direction) and monochromatic (one colour) beam of light. The colours of light are defined by their wavelength.

This beam of light has a specific target. In the case of hair removal, this is the melanin in the hair. When the light reaches its target, the melanin in the hair absorbs the light and transforms it into heat, heat that will then destroy the hair follicle, without damaging the surrounding tissue. This is the principle of selective photo thermolysis.

The laser targets the melanin in the hair which results in the destruction of the hair by heat.
After sufficiently repeated exposure (6-8 hair removal sessions), the majority of the hair follicles in the skin are completely destroyed.

The fact that the laser acts on the melanin in the hair means that laser hair removal is most effective on people whose hair is darker in pigment than their skin colour. If your hair is light, blond or downy, the laser will probably not be able to detect the pigment in the follicle. The difficulty is that, unlike black hair which contains eumelanin (black melanin), blonde, red, downy and of course white hair contains little or no eumelanin. In this case, the solution is high frequency hair removal or electrolysis.

At B Skin Legacy we use a Diode Laser device with a triple wavelength: Alexandrite (755nm), Diode (808nm) and Nd-Yag (1064nm). This allows us to safely remove unwanted hair from most skin types, from very light to deeply pigmented.

Laser hair removal is known as permanent hair reduction and not permanent hair removal, as is the case with high frequency hair removal or electrolysis.

This is because a treatment course of 6 to 8 sessions is necessary, depending on the area to be treated. The interval between sessions is on average 4 weeks for the face and 6 weeks for the body. At each session, a reduction of about 10 to 20% of the hair is observed.
After the first 4 sessions, depending on the area treated, the sessions can be spaced out by 6 to 8 weeks. At the end of the treatment, we can achieve a permanent reduction of about 85% of the hair depending on whether the treated area is hormonal or not and on the response of the person to the sessions.
On black and dark skins, the effectiveness is reached after more sessions because the energy delivered per session must be lower to preserve the epidermis.

In addition, during the sessions, all the hairs will be treated but those that will be effectively destroyed are only those in the growth phase. In other words, those attached to the blood vessels. The average number of hairs removed is between 10 and 70%, depending on the part of the body.

The effectiveness of permanent hair removal also depends on the following factors:

the anatomical location and texture of the hair: underarms are generally easier to treat than the upper lip
the gender of the client: women generally require fewer sessions than men
hair type: black hair is easier to treat than blond hair
hair density: sparse hair density is easier to treat than very dense areas
whether the treated area is subject to hormones or not

We recommend 6 to 8 sessions per treatment course depending on the area to be treated.

The number of sessions varies according to the type of skin, hair and hairiness of the individual being treated. Individuals with little hair and/or with coarse hair will need fewer sessions than the opposite case, i.e. high hairiness or very fine hair. Darker and blacker skin types generally need more sessions (as the energy used is lower). Between sessions, the hair can be cut, trimmed or shaved, but ideally it should be left to grow back until the next appointment for maximum effectiveness.

Lips, chin, face: 4 weeks interval required for the first 4 sessions, then sessions will take place every 6 weeks.

Underarms and bikini area, back, chest, arms: 6 weeks interval for the first sessions, then sessions are spaced every 8 weeks.

Legs: 6 weeks interval for the first 2 sessions, thereafter, the sessions will be spaced 9 to 12 weeks apart.

After the treatment course, maintenance sessions may be required once a year. For these annual maintenance sessions it is recommended to wait until the hair grows back a little.

There is no noticeable decrease in effectiveness if the treatment is forgotten and the maximum waiting period is exceeded.

A consultation is carried out prior to the laser hair removal session. It will also allow us to determine the nature of your skin and hair to best set up the laser for your hair removal.

A clinical examination and a precise interrogation are necessary in order to prevent unwanted side effects following laser hair removal.

The skin is marked with a suitable pencil to help locate the areas to be removed.

After applying the contact gel, the laser handpiece is applied to the skin area by area to remove hair from the surface.

The heat will gradually increase until it reaches 50°C in the follicle to destroy it while keeping the skin surface at a temperature of 25°C thanks to the cooling system integrated in the laser handpiece.

The pain of laser hair removal feels like a rubber band snapping repeatedly against the skin, and varies depending on the area being treated. However, the intensity of the reaction decreases with repeated sessions as the follicles decrease in size and thickness. A warm sensation is also observed.

After a few days, the destroyed hair will be pushed to the surface of the skin and will fall out about 15 to 21 days after laser hair removal.
At the end of the 6th day after the session, you can proceed with an exfoliation to accelerate the hair loss process.

Lips: 10 minutes

Chin: 10 minutes

Cheeks: 15 minutes

Underarms: 20 minutes

Bikini line: 30 minutes

Half legs : 45 minutes

Whole legs: 75 minutes

Consultation: 20 minutes

For a safe and effective treatment, sun exposure is forbidden during the 2 weeks preceding the laser session. Therefore, protect the area to be treated with a high protection sunscreen
No electric, depilatory, tweezing or waxing on the areas to be treated 4 weeks before the session
The skin should be cleansed beforehand with water and a mild cleanser. There should be no traces of make-up or deodorant on the areas to be treated.
The hair must be shaved at best 1 to 2 days before the session or otherwise the same day. No depilatory cream.
Do not shave the face (for women). This will be done at the institute.
During the first session, leave an area of about 2cm2 unshaven so that the beautician can observe the hair and adjust the machine’s settings.
Avoid treatments such as peels, microdermabrasion, fillers, botox 2 to 4 weeks in advance.

Avoid exfoliating the area for 48 hours after treatment.
Avoid heat sources, including hot showers, saunas and cardio workouts that can produce sweat for 24 hours.
Avoid unprotected sun exposure and/or use of sunbeds for at least 3 days after treatment.
Use a sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher daily
On dense hair areas, you may experience redness (erythema) with a sensation of heat comparable to sunburn. These effects last one to two days at most. Refresh your face with a cold compress, alternating between 20 minutes and 20 minutes off. Dry your face well afterwards and then use the soothing gel. Tip: You can store the gel in your refrigerator to have an extra cooling effect on the skin.
Wear loose clothing to avoid irritation of the treated area.

Taking tanning activators or applying self-tanning creams 2 weeks before the session
Application of essential oils one week before the session
The application of bleaching/depigmenting creams 2 weeks before a session
Being pregnant or actively seeking pregnancy
Skin diseases such as Vitiligo (skin depigmentation), psoriasis, skin cancer, eczema or dermatitis
Taking roaccutane or Vitamin A derivatives such as isotretinoin
Being treated with photo-sensitising drugs (they can cause burning and side effects).
Active acne
Being diabetic, having heart problems
Have haemophilia, herpes, lupus, epilepsy

Laser hair removal can be applied to any part of the body to be removed, however some areas are subject to paradoxical regrowth and laser hair removal is not recommended.
The eyebrows are not removed by laser apart from the inter-brow area.
Hair removal can be done on all areas of the body except directly on the genital area for men and women.
It is not recommended to treat below the eyebrows as it is too close to the eyes
Tattooed areas
Moles

The laser does not cause cancer, on the contrary it is used to treat it.

Indeed, cancer is a disease caused by the transformation of cells that become abnormal and proliferate excessively. In the case of laser hair removal, the light beam does not have the power to modify the DNA of our cells as UVA rays do. The laser has only one target: the melanin in the hair.