Yes, Laser Hair Removal is safe for the face when the proper laser is used with proper settings. The hair on the face can be removed with a laser safely as long as all of the normal safety precautions are followed. We highly recommend using a dual wavelength Alexandrite/Nd-Yag laser that is designed for hair removal.
Hair removal is safest when the hair is dark and the skin is relatively light but even hair on dark skin can be treated successfully on the face if proper settings are used. The main risk with darker skin is a complication related to the pigment of the skin. One can suffer hyper- or hypo-pigmentation if the wrong laser is used or if the settings are incorrect. Therefore it is extremely important to goto an expert with a lot of experience with laser hair removal.
The face is not a very large area to treat; however, it does have nooks and crannies and a difficult shape and portions of the face take extra care to treat with the laser. Typically this will take 15 to 20 minutes per session.
Please arrive to your appointment with the entire area to be treated completely shaved. Do not apply makeup or any tinted moisturizer or sunblock. It is important that the skin is completely clean for the procedure. Please make sure you avoid retinols for the week prior to the appointment.
Yes, laser hair removal can be done for both men and women on the face. However, it is important to remember that laser hair removal is permanent. There is a strong chance that men would no longer be able to grow a full beard or mustache after laser hair removal. This is an important consideration.
Laser hair removal is very effective for the neck, and this is a very popular service for our male patients who want to keep their beards but shave less.
It is important to shave the entire area the night before or the morning of your treatment. The laser targets the pigment in the hair, sending energy down into the follicle to kill the stem cells that make the hair. Any extra hair sticking out of the skin only directs the laser energy into the wrong direction and contributes to burning hair smell.
After laser hair removal, the skin on the face may be red for a few minutes to a few hours. Some of the follicles may be swollen. This also tends to resolve within minutes to hours. The hairs themselves will fall out on their own over the next few days. It is OK to shave them, but not necessary. Once the redness has resolved, we recommend returning to your usual daily skin care routine.
Unlike most other body parts, the hair on the face, especially in the beard area, is very much affected by hormones. When hair is removed with the laser, that follicle is destroyed. However, your body is constantly recruiting new dark terminal hairs from amongst the small wispy ones. This is especially true in the areas of your face affected by hormones. Thus, it usually takes more sessions to rid the facial hair than it does on other body parts. We have found that it takes at least six sessions, but often as many as 10 sessions.
Laser hair removal on the face is very effective; however, the face tends to need more sessions to fully treat and requires occasional touch-ups. This is because the area is particularly affected by hormones, and new dark hairs do accumulate over time.
One major advantage of the Clarity II is that it is safe for nearly every skin type, ranging from light to dark: Clarity II operates using two wavelengths and is one of the few lasers that is considered safe for dark skin, and asian skin as well. Most other laser treatments use only one wavelength, which can affect the skin cells and poses a risk of skin discoloration. Both lasers specifically target the dark pigment in hair follicles, destroying them and preventing future growth. The Alexandrite 755nm wavelength is typically used for lighter skin and the Nd-Yag 1064nm wavelength is used for darker skin types. The hair treated must be in the correct phase of its growth cycle (the anagen phase when it has the most pigment). At any given time, only 15-20 percent of the hair is in this phase, so the treatments are timed with your hair cycle. To eliminate all the dark hair in an area, patients generally need to receive 6-8 treatments. It will not work on blond, white or gray hairs.
Temporary redness and follicular swelling are the most common side effects, but are short lived. Occasionally people have acne breakouts after laser hair removal. Ingrown hairs are also possible. The most worrisome side effects can occur from hyper or hyperpigmentation from the laser itself. If hyperpigmentation were to occur, this is usually temporary and can be treated. However, hypopigmented nation, or the creation of a white depigmented area on the skin is generally permanent. This is why it is critically important that the proper laser is used with expert technique.
The price for laser hair removal on the face has a very wide range. This depends on how much of the face needs to be treated. If it is a small area, the price will be lower. If it is the full face and neck the price will be higher. At Glow Medispa our prices range from $150 to $450. Our full price list can be found here.
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Serving greater Seattle and the Eastside, Glow Medispa was founded by Dr. Katherine Dee.
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