Electrolysis appeared to be the only form of lasting or permanent hair removal on the market just before laser and IPL units came into the market. Electrolysis can be still performed these days even though it is painful for the patient and invasive to the skin, permitting the potential of infection. During the electrolysis treatment, a fine needle can be put into the hair follicle, serving up an electric current in order to wipe out the stem cells in the follicle. Unfortunately, this slow process can be performed a single hair follicle at a time. Upkeep treatments will often be needed for many years after the preliminary procedure.

In comparison, with laser and IPL solutions, hundreds of follicles of hair are dealt with at a time depending on the actual spot dimensions (the size of the actual tip of the unit supplying energy). These kind of laser hair removal procedures are non-surgical and take just minutes to carry out instead of the many hours of electrolysis.

Laser & IPL hair removal & Melanin

A very important factor previous to a hair removal procedure is the patient’s epidermis type and hair color. Laser hair removal is based on selective photothermolysis (employing light and heat for the purpose of damage of a hair follicle) along with melanin being the target chromophore (chemical grouping that produces coloring). The difference between the absorption of laser or light energy by melanin in the hair follicle and melanin in the epidermis determines how much energy that may be correctly employed without harming the skin.

Light skinned individuals with darker hair tend to be regarded as being the best clients for laser hair removal In contrast, a patient with relatively dark skin tone and gray or white hair, could have minor if any result. Since melanin within the hair shaft and hair foillicle are the objective source for laser and IPL hair removal treatments, it is important for individuals in the course of their preliminary session not to tweeze, wax or use any depilatory equipment previous to laser hair removal. The person might, however, shave areas to be treated (which usually preserves the chromophore inside the follicle), or may use hair removal products. Hair which is sticking up from the body will likely burn throughout a laser or light procedure which then causes a powerful unpleasant stink along with possible flares.

The actual Laser Hair Removal Treatment

The majority of devices theoretically operate exactly the same way when delivering a hair removal treatment. The parameters on the device (joules, milliseconds, pulse, etc.) ought to be set according to the complexion evaluation and history performed on the individual. It is important for patients to not wear darker apparel near the place being treated as the pigment in the clothing can possibly be absorbed by the laser or IPL and can result in a burn. The patient needs to be told to refrain from using any body washes, lotions, makeup products, or any skin medications the morning of the treatment. Some patients may prefer to have a topical anesthetic applied prior to the treatment. If any residue of the anesthetic remains, it should be wiped clean from the skin. A spot test, or patch test, should be performed on the intended treatment area. Several treatments are required at monthly intervals for an optimal outcome and a yearly maintenance treatment can be recommended.

Medical Spa MD is a cosmetic skin clinic community of plastic surgeons, dermatologists, laser clinics and medspas with more than 5,000 physician members and hosts the most current physician discussion forums on the fractional lasers and non-surgical cosmetic medical technologies.

Tags: advice, beauty, Blog, dermatology, drugs, fashion, fitness, health, laser treatments, Latest Fashions, medical, medicine, plastic surgery, skin, women's issues

Digg it StumbleUpon Facebook Twitter del.icio.us Google Yahoo!

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 14th, 2010 at 10:16 am and is filed under Latest Fashions. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.