Laser Hair Removal

Possible laser hair removal side effects include:

• Mild swelling around the hair follicles
• Pigment changes may occur, especially in those with darker skin. These changes are usually temporary
• Slight redness of the skin
• Temporary irritation resulting in blistering, crusting, scarring or other changes in skin texture

Special care must be taken for those with darker skin. A less intensive laser should be used to avoid damaging the outer skin.

Don’t Pluck
Prior to a laser hair removal treatment, patients must abstain from tweezing,
waxing, or any other unwanted hair treatment that removes hair from its root.
There must be hair in the hair follicle for laser hair removal to work. The laser is
attracted to the melanin, or pigment, of the hair. The hair must be in its anagen,
or active, growth phase.

Don’t Tan
You should also avoid sun exposure in the 4-6 weeks prior to your laser hair
removal treatment. Tanned skin has extra melanin, which attracts laser energy.

Don’t Moisturize
Right before your laser hair removal treatment, avoid applying any lotion,
sunscreen, perfume, or other similar cosmetics to the surface of your skin.

Shave
Shave 1-3 days before your session. The idea is to have a nice, close shave, so
that there is no hair outside the skin. It is best to have just enough hair to be
visible so your laser technician knows what is to be treated.

There may be some slight charring of the small amount of stubble that gets
hit by the laser. So, if you notice an odor of singed hair, that’s normal.

Laser hair removal patients have minimal pain. The Rohrer Diode Laser has a cooling device to maximize patient comfort. In addition, unlike a hair salon and unique to a medical practice, Graham Plastic Surgery is able to offer Pro-Nox nitrous oxide as a treatment to relieve pain and anxiety associated with the procedure.

1) Immediately after treatment, there may be mild redness and swelling at the treatment
site, which may last up to 2 hours or longer. The redness may last up to 2-3 days. The
treated area may feel like sunburn. Apply ice packs or gel packs (do not apply direct ice)
for first few hours after treatment to reduce any discomfort or swelling. If redness or
swelling persists, ice packs can be continued.

2) Makeup may be used immediately after the treatment unless there is blistering.

3) Avoid sun exposure until skin has returned to its normal baseline (no redness or
swelling).

4) Avoid picking or scratching the treated skin. Do not use any other hair removal
treatment products or services (waxing, electrolysis or tweezing) that will disturb the hair
follicle in the treatment area.

5) Wash the treated area and pat dry for 3 days after treatment. Do not scrub.

6) Start gently scrubbing treated area on the 4th day (ex-foliate).

7) Anywhere from 5-10 days after the treatment, shedding of the surface hair may occur
and this appears as new hair growth. This is not new hair growth, it is the shaft that was
below the skin and is being expelled. It may take 7-10 days for the shafts to be fully
expelled.

8) There are no restrictions on bathing except to treat the skin gently, as if you had
sunburn, for the first 24 hours.

At the next visit, it is important for the patient to let the practitioner know how long the
redness lasted after treatment and when significant hair growth was noticed in the area.
This info will allow the practitioner to individualize treatments to achieve the desired
results.  

Calm comfort is the number one benefit, but PRO-NOX™ offers a number of advantages:

• Time-tested for a wide range of procedures
• Patient control allows immediate response to pain and anxiety
• Takes effect in seconds
• Short recovery time with minimal side effects
• Safe for the duration of any procedure

PRO-NOX™ clears from the body in just minutes, allowing you to get on with your life as usual. The gas remains in the body for only about five minutes, so patients can even safely drive home after having PRO-NOX™.

Graham Plastic Surgery is a plastic surgery practice. As a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Graham adheres to the highest standards in safety and efficacy. We take pride in understanding the anatomy and physiology of hair growth and distribution. We also fully understand laser technology and physiology. There is no better facility to get a laser procedure.

Treatment frequency will depend on the hair growth patterns of the body. Typically, intervals are as follows:

Head and Neck-every 4 weeks

Chest, abdomen, back, and pelvic area-every 6 weeks.

Legs-every 8 weeks.

The price for laser hair removal can vary greatly.  Our everyday laser hair removal price is always fair and transparent. You can see Dr. Graham’s laser hair removal pricing here.