Laser Hair Removal San Francisco

The LightSheer DUET laser system delivers highly concentrated laser energy to the skin, where the hair follicles absorb the energy and are heated. The heat damages the follicle and prevents new hair growth.

Hair growth is cyclical, and there are three phases in the cycle:

1. The first phase is anagen (the active or growth cycle)
2. The second phase is catagen (the dormant phase)
3. The last phase is telogen (the fall-out or shedding phase)

Laser hair removal is most effective during the anagen phase of the hair growth cycle. It is highly unlikely that every hair treated on a given day will be in the anagen phase, hence the need for multiple treatments. Hair growth cycles also differ on different parts of the body. Your skin and hair color, coarseness of hair as well as your age, metabolism and other individual factors influence hair growth rate.

If you have very light hair such as white, gray and platinum blonde shades, you may not qualify for this laser hair removal procedure. Treatment may not be effective for lighter hair colors like these due to them having less pigment.

LightSheer DUET is not for patients with darker skin, as the melanin that creates darker pigmented skin will absorb the energy from the laser. This process can not only cause pigmentation changes but may also damage your skin.

To achieve optimal results, a series of six treatments spaced at four- to six-week intervals is suggested. Treatments may be purchased individually or in a series of treatments

Large areas like the back and legs can be treated with LightSheer laser hair removal in as little as 15 minutes. Smaller areas like the bikini line and underarms can be treated even faster. The improvements to the earlier laser hair removal technology mean the treatment times are reduced by 75 percent in many cases.

You can return to your usual activities immediately after laser hair removal treatment, as no downtime is required. Your skin may be slightly red or pink and have some bumps for the first few hours after treatment, and some swelling may persist for a few days. Do not use hot tubs or saunas for two to three days. It is also vital to avoid direct sunlight after treatment and use sunscreen daily.

About seven days after treatment, you will notice some hairs in the target area have grown short and look like stubble. These are the hairs from the destroyed follicles, and they will gradually fall out over the next week. Manual exfoliating your skin can help increase the rate of shedding so you can experience your results sooner.

With the LightSheer DUET diode laser, permanent hair reduction can be achieved. After your treatment series, most hair follicles will have been treated during the anagen phase, which is when laser treatment is most effective at damaging the follicles. This means you will see a significant and permanent reduction of hair growth in the treated area.

However, subsequent treatments may be needed starting a month or so after your series to target certain hairs that may not have been in the anagen phase of hair growth during any of the previous treatments.