What Can You Expect The length of a laser treatment may last anywhere from a few minutes to an hour or more, depending on the size of the area being treated. It is important to know that the hairs in an active growth phase (referred to as anagen) are most affected by the laser. As all hairs are not in this phase at the same time, more than one treatment will be necessary to achieve the best result.

The laser treatment itself may cause some discomfort. Most patients tolerate the procedure well, but because some areas of the body are more sensitive than others, topical anesthesia can be an option. The appearance of the treated area immediately following treatment will vary from patient to patient depending on the extent of the procedure and skin type. Side effects, if any, are minor. They may include redness and swelling around the hair follicle, which are, in fact, desired clinical results and indicate that the follicle has responded to the treatment. Most people return to normal activity right away. We will be happy to tell you more about your treatment, possible side effects and what results you can expect during your consultation.

Find Your Skin Type The Fitzpatrick skin type matrix was developed in 1975, by Thomas B. Fitzpatrick, MD, PHD, of Harvard Medical school. This is a classification system for skin typing and is based on a person's complexion and responses to sun exposure. For successful laser and light therapy, it is necessary to determine your correct skin type before treatment. Fitzpatrick Skin Type and Description I extremely fair skin - always burns, never tans II fair skin - always burns, sometimes tans III medium skin - sometimes burns, always tans IV olive skin - rarely burns, always tans V moderately pigmented brown skin - never burns, always tans VI markedly pigmented black skin - never burns, always tans

Patient Selection

Patient selection is a key aspect of the effective use with laser hair removal. Hair colour and skin type are the two most important factors in predicting success of treatments. Temporary hair loss almost always occurs regardless of hair colour. Long-term hair loss, however, is correlated with hair colour. Black or brown hair indicating a high concentration of melanin in the follicles, is ideal. In the experience of the investigators who initially tested the LightSheer diode system, people with skin Types I and II are most easily treated. People with skin Types III, IV, and V may require pre-treatment with sunscreen and bleaching creams to reduce the amount of melanin in the epidermis. People with skin Type VI are generally of high risk for skin damage, and are generally not treated.

Skin Type Questionnaire: Please turn your printer on and then click here to view or print this Skin Type Questionnaire.