Laser Hair Removal
Laser Hair Removal in Athens
Eliminate unwanted hair effortlessly from your face, back, arms, legs, and bikini area without the inconvenience and discomfort of shaving or waxing. At Pittman Plastic Surgery in Athens, GA, we offer the cutting-edge Forever Bare BBL device by Sciton revolutionizing your path to smooth, silky skin. Our patented technology comfortably targets multiple hairs simultaneously, efficiently treating large areas for optimal convenience. Begin your journey to beautiful skin with our cutting-edge laser hair removal solutions and enjoy long-lasting results.
Laser Hair Removal Overview
Laser hair removal is a popular cosmetic procedure designed to eliminate unwanted body hair by using concentrated light beams. This non-invasive treatment targets hair follicles, reducing hair growth over time. Suitable for various body areas, laser hair removal provides a more permanent solution compared to traditional methods like shaving or waxing. At Pittman Plastic Surgery, we offer precise, effective treatments that cater to your specific needs, ensuring optimal results with minimal discomfort.
How Laser Hair Removal Works
Laser hair removal uses a laser to emit light that penetrates the skin and is absorbed by the melanin pigment in the hair. This light energy transforms into heat, damaging the hair follicles, thereby preventing or slowing down future hair growth. This minimally invasive procedure offers long-lasting results. Our cutting-edge laser technology targets the hair follicles, ensuring the surrounding skin remains unharmed, making it both efficient and effective.
Benefits of Laser Hair Removal
There are several advantages to undergoing laser hair removal, including:
- Removal of hair from large areas of skin
- Precise removal of coarse dark hair, leaving the surrounding skin undamaged
- Quick treatment (the upper lip requires less than a minute of treatment; larger areas like the legs may take 45-60 minutes)
Combining Laser Hair Removal Treatment with Other Procedures
Combining laser hair removal with other treatments can greatly improve your results. To meet your beauty objectives, consider pairing treatments for optimal outcomes. For instance, if you want to eliminate unwanted hair and tackle skin issues like pigmentation, redness, or acne, it’s beneficial to consult with our aesthetician, who might suggest incorporating BBL (BroadBand Light) therapy to enhance the overall effectiveness of your treatments.
Laser Hair Removal Procedure
There are various ways to remove unwanted hair – tweezing, threading, plucking, shaving, and waxing – but there’s only one way to reduce unwanted body hair more permanently – laser hair removal. Here’s everything you need to know about the procedure that can give you a stubble-free life.
Laser hair removal is a cosmetic procedure in which a concentrated beam of light destroys hair follicles (the tube-like structures in the skin that produce the hair). Destroying the hair follicles stops or delays future hair growth.
The laser device emits a powerful beam of light that is absorbed by melanin (the pigment that gives hair its color). The light then gets converted to heat energy, which essentially burns away the hair follicle.
Preparing for Laser Hair Removal
To ensure you are a good candidate for laser hair removal, our medical team will review your past medical history, past surgeries, and current medications. Certain blood-thinning medications like aspirin may need to be stopped temporarily before the laser treatment. Do not forget to tell your provider if you’ve had hair removal procedures before. We will take pre-treatment photos for comparison.
In preparation for your laser hair removal treatment, you should:
- Stay out of the sun as much as possible, both before and after the laser hair treatment. If you go outdoors, do not forget to use a broad-spectrum sunscreen, at least SPF30.
- Avoid any tanning creams that darken the skin. Your doctor may prescribe a bleaching cream to get rid of a tan if you have one.
- Stop using other hair-removal methods (the hair follicle needs to be left alone for 4 weeks before laser hair removal). Your doctor may advise you to trim or shave on the day before the laser procedure to remove surface hair.
Side Effects of Laser Hair Removal
Temporary skin irritation with minor redness and swelling are the most common side effects of laser hair removal. These symptoms usually go away in a few hours. Skin treated with a laser may become darker or lighter due to pigmentary changes, which can be temporary or permanent. You should avoid sun exposure before and after laser hair removal to reduce this risk. Very rarely, laser treatment can cause blistering, scarring, graying of hair, excessive hair growth in treated areas, or changes in skin texture.
Before, during, and after
What To Expect Before a Laser Hair Removal Treatment
Before your laser hair removal appointment in Athens, you’ll have a consultation with our experienced aesthetician in our welcoming office. During this meeting, we’ll discuss your needs and offer personalized recommendations to help you prepare for the treatment. It’s important to avoid waxing or tweezing the area for two to four weeks before your session, as these methods remove the hair follicle. However, shaving is fine, as it leaves the follicle intact.
What To Expect During a Laser Hair Removal Treatment
The Sciton Forever Bare BBL device offers a cutting-edge approach to laser hair removal by delivering light energy directly to hair follicles, effectively targeting and reducing future growth. During the session, you will have cooling gel and protective eyewear. This FDA-approved treatment is designed with your comfort in mind, often eliminating the need for numbing cream due to its gentle nature. When you undergo regular sessions, you can expect to achieve long-lasting smooth skin, enjoying the superior results of safe and effective hair removal.
What To Expect After a Laser Hair Removal Treatment
Following your laser hair removal treatment, it’s common to notice some redness and swelling for a few hours. Although you may not see immediate hair loss, the treated hairs will begin to shed gradually over the coming days and weeks. Multiple sessions are often required for optimal results, as hair follicles cycle through different growth stages.
Frequently Asked Questions
The laser destroys hair follicles and effectively delays hair growth for a prolonged period. However, it does not completely prevent hair re-growth in the future. You can say that laser hair removal is somewhat permanent. It is certainly longer-lasting than other methods of hair removal such as shaving, waxing, plucking, tweezing, and threading.
It is impossible to predict the results of laser hair removal in a particular person, but most people experience several months to years of reduced or absent hair growth. If and when the hair grows back after laser hair removal, it is usually lighter in color and finer in texture.
Laser hair removal can be performed on all types of skin, with a few exceptions. People with light skin and dark hair typically achieve the best results with laser hair removal. This is because when the skin is light-colored, and the hair is dark, the laser can easily differentiate between the skin pigment and the hair pigment and selectively destroy the hair follicle without damaging the skin.
Nonetheless, advances in laser technology have made it possible for people with darker skin to have laser hair removal quite effectively. Newer lasers are being developed for light-colored hair.
Laser hair removal is used to remove unwanted body hair from locations like the arms, legs, armpits, back, chin, upper lip, and bikini line. Essentially, any part of the body can be treated with laser hair removal except the area surrounding the eye due to the risk of eye injury. Also, you cannot get laser hair removal done on skin with tattoos.
To achieve the best results with laser hair removal, patients typically need six or more sessions, four to eight weeks apart. This approach aligns with the natural hair growth cycle, which consists of three phases: anagen (active), catagen (transition), and telogen (resting). Lasers are effective only during the anagen phase when hair follicles are actively growing. Therefore, complete hair removal requires multiple treatments to target all follicles effectively during their growth stages.
When conducted by certified professionals with advanced technology, laser hair removal is widely regarded as safe. At Pittman Plastic Surgery, our experienced, state-licensed aesthetician ensures your safety and comfort throughout the procedure. Our state-of-the-art Forever Bare BBL hair removal system delivers effective results with minimal side effects.
Forever Bare BBL laser hair removal is great for sensitive skin, including delicate areas like the lips, ears, nose, underarms, and bikini line. This treatment is crafted to be comfortable and safe, regardless of skin type or hair color. Utilizing quick, dual-light pulses, it targets hair at the root, and its cooling feature ensures a soothing experience.
After laser hair removal, avoid these until sensitivity fades:
- Makeup on treated areas
- Scented products, exfoliants, and harsh scrubbing
- Hot or cold water; use lukewarm water
- Shaving
- Chlorinated pools and spas
- Excessive sweating
- Sun exposure
If needed, apply a cold compress for comfort
Avoiding sun exposure and ceasing tanning for at least two to four weeks before a laser hair removal session is advised. Tanned skin has more melanin, which might cause the laser to target skin pigment instead of just the hair follicles. This can result in less effective treatment and a higher chance of side effects like burns or skin discoloration. If you’re already tanned, your doctor might suggest using bleaching cream to help reduce the tan.
TABATHA BOURCHIER
LICENSED AESTHETICIAN
Tabatha graduated in 2015 with her Esthetics license and has been loving her career-change ever since. She is passionate about skincare and this forever-growing & changing industry, loving on her patients, and helping them feel better in their own skin!
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