Emerald Hill
Medical Associates
and Laser Center
Emerald Hill |
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| Hair Removal If you are tired of the pain and nuisance of shaving, waxing, electrolysis, or depilatories, then long term laser hair removal is for you!. At Emerald Hill Laser Center, we use the Cutera CoolGlide™, a fourth generation laser, for non-invasive hair removal. The procedure is performed by respected local physician of Internal Medicine, Anne Tarry, MD in a relaxing medical spa environment. What do you mean by long term hair removal? The FDA has reviewed and approved the use of lasers for hair removal. The average person requires 4-6 CoolGlide laser treatments in order to eliminate 70-90% of unwanted hair. Laser gives the best result of any hair removal system, although no method of hair removal can eliminate all hair forever. Fine, light colored hairs may continue to grow as these hairs do not have enough pigment to be a target for the laser light. These are usually the hairs that are not a major cosmetic problem. Also, over the years, scattered, small immature follicles with baby fine vellous hair may mature into terminal follicles. These areas may require low cost touch up treatments . Hair removed with laser technology cannot be made to grow again and should be considered permanent. For this reason, we will not remove hair on a man's beard area, nor will we remove eyebrows--other than excess hair between them. What body areas can be treated? For women the most common areas treated are: upper lip, chin, bikini line, arms, legs, underarms. Men most often request shoulders, back, and the neck. What do you mean by non-invasive treatment? Non-invasive, in this case, means that no part of the machine pierces the skin; instead, only the cooling handpiece is in contact with the skin's surface. The laser light is delivered externally in multiple short bursts. The light energy is absorbed by the pigment in the hair and hair follicle, causing selective damage to the hair follicle without damaging other parts of the skin. Very light skin absorbs very little energy. Darker skin absorbs more so more treatments may be required at lower energy levels. How many treatments are required? At any one time only 30% of hair follicles are both active and able to absorb the laser beam. For this reason, it is necessary to treat an area 4-6 times at least 6 weeks apart. The CoolGlide can be used on people who were not able to tolerate, or did not obtain satisfactory results from, electrolysis or older laser systems including the alexandrite laser and epilight systems. Such people may need only 2 or 3 treatments to finish the job. Why is a consultation required? A consultation is required so that you will know exactly what to expect of the procedure. During the consultation we will explain the procedure, determine your skin type and hair type, and perform a test pulse if necessary. If scheduling permits, you may be able to start your first treatment the same day. What is a treatment like? We first prepare the skin with cooling ice packs. The doctor then glides the laser's chilled hand piece gently along the skin surface, as short bursts of laser light disable hair follicles by the hundreds. This is unlike electrolysis which must treat each hair follicle separately. Some of the hair in the treated follicles falls off immediately after the treatment. Additional hair is shed over the following 2-3 weeks. Is it painful? For most people, on most parts of the body, there is only a mild sting or no pain at all. The upper lip is the most sensitive, so we numb the area with an anesthetic cream (Emla or Betacaine) topically applied one hour before the procedure. On all other areas, cooling the skin with ice packs and the laser handpiece is all that is required for comfort. We also apply aloe vera gel after the treatment. Can there be any side effects? There may be a brief reddening of the skin usually lasting one half hour or more after treatment. Rarely a small blister occurs at a treatment site which is like a mild sunburn and resolves quickly. Most people can return to work after a treatment. It is recommended that you wear sunscreen over the area for the following 3-4 days. Will my insurance pay for treatments? Health insurance and Medicare do not pay the cost of hair removal. The costs may be considered medical expenses for income tax purposes, so save your receipts and ask your tax accountant. How do I make an appointment? Call the office at 603 672 3172 to make an appointment for your free consultation or appointments. Feel free to call with questions or for a price quote. You may also request an appointment or information by e-Mail. ehlaser@yahoo.com Media
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