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Calgary Laser Hair Removal Treatments

FAQs

Laser Hair Removal

How does Laser Hair Removal work?

The laser targets the melanin (pigment cells) in the hair follicles. The pigment in those follicles absorbs the laser’s energy until the follicle is destroyed, leaving the surrounding tissue unaffected. These laser treatment sessions are then repeated (on average) 7-12 times, at 4-8 week intervals, to target the attached hairs at each growth cycle (the Anagen hair growth phase) until most of the hair follicles have been destroyed.

After several treatments, patients can expect a significant reduction (80-95%) in the thickness and amount of hair. Any hair that is left is typically lighter colored and fine. The hair beneath the skin’s surface no longer has a follicle, and your body will eject it over 2-3 weeks after the treatment. It may look like growing hair but simply exfoliate or continue shaving until the dead hair has all fallen out.

You must shower, bathe, and shave thoroughly within 24 hours before laser treatment. The treatment will be most effective on clean, untanned skin with NO hair growth above the surface. Do not wax, pluck, or use hair removal creams within four weeks before the appointment, as the hair must be attached to the follicle for the treatment to work.

The technician will use cold packs and a cryo air cooling machine to make the procedure more comfortable. You will feel a warm, prickly sensation as the laser delivers energy into the hair follicles. This sensation is usually very tolerable. Afterward, your skin may look slightly red and have small bumps where the follicles are, which is normal.

Many clients have no noticeable effects afterward. The redness and bumps will fade over the next few hours. Cold packs and an over-the-counter cortisone cream can also help if needed. For 24 hours after treatment, avoid hot showers, hot tubs, saunas, or any sweating on the treated area or until the redness and bumps have completely disappeared. The hair beneath the skin’s surface no longer has a follicle, and your body will slowly eject it. 2-3 weeks after the treatment. It may look like growing hair but simply exfoliate or continue shaving until the dead hair has all fallen out.

You may have heard that Laser Hair Removal is painful or experienced it yourself. Most clinics do not offer much pain management, but at Revive, making your experience comfortable is our priority. Some laser devices can cause pain, but our Fotona ND:Yag and Quanta Alexandrite are powerful, medical-grade lasers. Because of this power, they don’t need to use as much energy to destroy your follicles, meaning LESS PAIN for you. Their heat also travels deeper into the skin, which is more comfortable than cheaper technologies like IPL. The technician will also use cold packs/cold rollers and a Cryo air cooling machine (which blows cold air next to the laser beam) to make the procedure even more comfortable. As the laser delivers energy into the hair follicles, you will feel a warm, light, prickly sensation. This sensation is usually completely tolerable, and we get fantastic feedback from our clients, especially those who have had laser hair removal in the past with different machines.

A quality, medical-grade laser that is well-maintained with proper settings should permanently reduce the amount of hair growth. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for cheaper, poorly maintained machines and older IPLs. Knowing the proper settings is also extremely important to the treatment’s outcome, as not all technicians are adequately trained or experienced. Many areas of the body can experience permanent hair reduction, but it will always be to varying degrees, depending on how good of a candidate you are.

Most clients with dark hair will eventually reach approximately an 85-95% permanent decrease, although some clients may want touch-up treatments from time to time on the handful of hairs left over. After each hair removal treatment, the hair will grow patchy, more delicate, and thin. There are some rare instances where the body creates brand new follicles after they have been destroyed, but this is typically due to hormone imbalances and typically occurs only on the chin for women and on the back for men.

The ND:Yag laser is the deepest and safest type of laser. It can safely treat people with very dark skin and dark hair. Natural blondes can also benefit from laser hair removal! Most blonde clients can remove most of their Brazilian, underarm, and lower leg hair with our Alexandrite laser. Unfortunately, laser treatment is not recommended for very light blonde, red, and grey hair, as the follicles do not contain enough pigment to absorb the laser’s energy adequately.

Everyone has a different amount of hair. While we have seen a handful of clients lucky enough to complete their hair removal in under five sessions, this is rare and should never be expected. Most clients will require an average of 8-12 sessions, with some clients who have very dense hair and more than one hair per follicle may need more than 12. As long as the hair is shedding within 2-3 weeks after every treatment, you can be confident that your treatment is effective, and you will simply need to complete more sessions until most of the hair is reduced.

While most types of lasers cannot remove light brown or medium/dark blonde hair, the Quanta Alexandrite has proven to be very effective in removing medium to dark blonde hair for most of our blonde clients. Many of our blonde clients have been able to remove approximately 75% of the hair on the body areas where hair grows darker and thicker, such as Brazilian, underarms, and lower legs. We always suggest a test spot with the laser to ensure the treatment will work for you before purchasing treatments. Red-haired clients have been able to experience similar results.  Unfortunately, there is currently no technology that can remove light blonde or white hair.

Whether you are in the middle of laser sessions or have completed the entire course of laser treatments before pregnancy, don’t worry! Your hormones will likely not regrow all the treated hair as long as your treatments are done with a quality laser. You may need a touch-up session after your baby is born because removing 100% of your hair follicles with a laser is physically impossible. Some dormant follicles may start producing some hairs due to your hormone levels changing after giving birth, but you will not undo all of the laser sessions you had before pregnancy.

Our clients who have been through the experience reported that it felt like the body hair had “come back” during their pregnancy, but then it all shed out and returned to its pre-pregnancy state after the birth. The same thing happens with the hair on our heads, as we stop shedding hair during pregnancy, and then the shedding process resumes a few months after the baby is born. We recommend that women wait to begin their touch-up treatments until their hormone levels have returned to normal.

Here is pricing for some of our most popular services:
  • Bikini – starting at $152
  • Legs – starting at $260
  • Underarms – starting at $68
  • Men’s back –
    • Half back starting at $252
    • Full back starting at $400
  • Beard clean-up – starting at $68

Laser Skin tightening

How does the laser treatment tighten skin?
All aesthetic treatments for anti-aging work in much the same way. They create purposeful injury to the deeper skin layers by creating holes or adding heat, which promotes your immune system to repair the tissue and rebuild the collagen, leaving the tissue stronger than before the treatment. Much like lifting heavy weights will strengthen muscle tissue over time, the more aggressive the treatment to the skin, the better the results will likely be. Clients must be very healthy when receiving any of these treatments, as the client’s immune system is providing the results!
This is one of the most commonly asked questions about laser treatments. The answer is complex and the same for everyone. Because the laser only creates thermal damage to the tissue and your body is responsible for the repair, it is impossible to predict the extent of each person’s results. Your body should repair the injured tissue to be in a stronger, healthier state than before the laser treatment. However, we will continue to age over time. Keeping your body healthy and your immune system strong will lengthen the time you enjoy your smoother skin.

After the treatment, your skin will react similarly to a sunburn (except this will strengthen your DNA and not damage it). Your skin will feel warm and look red for the rest of the day. The next few days involve some tightness, mild soreness, itching, and flaking skin for approximately 4-7 days, depending on how long your body takes to heal. The skin should appear to be back to normal after approx. 6-10 days, however, the healing process (results!) for the deeper layers of skin will continue for several months.

Incontinence

What about men’s incontinence issues?
While women are more likely to suffer from urinary incontinence, it can also be a troublesome condition for men. The good news is that urinary incontinence in men, especially after prostate surgery, can now be effectively treated by Emsella.