Questions & Answers

Laser hair removal systems use a process called photothermolysis. Lasers produce beams of highly concentrated light that are attracted to the melanin, or dark pigment of each hair follicle. The light safely penetrates the skin and seeks it's color target. When the melanin absorbs the intense heat, that hair follicle becomes damaged without damaging the surrounding tissue. Future hair growth is inhibited when the blood source of each active follicle becomes permanently damaged. As such, this is the reason why red, blonde, grey and white hairs do not respond to treatment.

There are four types of lasers currently on the market for hair removal and they are the Ruby, Alexandrite, Diode, and Nd:YAG. There is also another light source option called IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) which is sometimes marketed as a laser, although technically it really is not. IPL has many advantages in the cosmetic realm, although it is not the optimum solution for removing hair. You should be aware of the equipment any clinic is using on you.

At Luminesse, we own an Alexandrite and a Nd:YAG. We use the Alexandrite for the majority of our patients, but the Nd:YAG is the safest way to treat people with tans or ethnic backgrounds. Both lasers produce excellent results, and can sometimes be used in combination depending on the specific client. There is not one single optimal laser, and each has it's benefits, so we will work with you to tailor a custom treatment plan based on your skin type and other personal factors.

Practically all of them!

While we realize not all clinics are willing to treat private regions, here at Luminesse, we will treat virtually any region including the perianal, vaginal and male privates. And we will never make you feel uncomfortable. We treat these areas all the time and the results are wonderful. We are more than happy to help tidy up a hard-to-reach zone.

For safety reasons, however, we do avoid the entire orbital area of the eye, including the lower eyebrow.

Yes. And a growing one! Men love to clean up, too. They enjoy the results from full back sessions, or the back of the neck so they don't need to see a barber as frequently. Necklines and beard lines are very popular...or even the glabella between the eyebrow. There are many great places to treat if you are a male, and most of them don't require multiple sessions. Some men just want to thin out the hair, or to rid the razorbumps and ingrowns! Just two treatments will eliminate ingrown hairs for good.

Absolutely. We have the laser that allows us to treat dark-skinned and ethnic people very safely and effectively.

This is a good time for a lesson on hair growth. We hear this question all the time. First, it's important to understand that healthy hair grows in cycles. It grows, relaxes, sheds, then grows again. This is also known as the anagen, catagen and telogen stages. During each session, anywhere from 10-40% of the hair on the surface will be active hairs. These are the only hairs that will respond to the laser, as they have the most melanin and a live blood source at the root. All other hairs will be burnt off and pushed out, but they will continue to grow from the root, which is why multiple sessions are necessary.

After a series of treatments strategically spaced out to get all of the hairs while they are in the active phase, you will see a significant reduction. So the short answer to the question is Yes. It is permanent for the dark hairs, by anywhere from 80-90%, and whatever is left will grow much slower and finer than before.

However, the FDA-approved answer to the question is No, as we are not allowed to promote laser treatments as "permanent" or "painless". Therefore, legally, we'll be safe here by saying "permanent reduction".

Some people find as little as three sessions to be sufficient. Ingrowns can be eliminated in only two. But the average number seems to be six, which obviously depends a lot on your medical condition and genetic make-up.

Individual results vary by patient. Please be reasonable and understand that some people may require future maintenance. People with hormonal imbalances, transsexuals, or those on medications may always have hair growth due to their conditions. The good news is that after the first series of treatments, the hair will be thin enough that we can put you on a maintenance plan and space the visits out much more infrequently. We will offer specialized pricing for these situations and ongoing maintenance visits.

Laser treatments are completely tolerable. It is no more painful than other methods, like waxing or electrolysis. You've heard the metaphor of a rubber band snapping on your skin. It's pretty similar. We also use a very effective air cooler along with the laser to help cool down the area being treated. This device has the ability to get very cold, so we can adjust it to your comfort level.

Keep in mind that we're trying to kill the hair follicle, so if you feel nothing at all, the treatment probably isn't working. On the other hand, you should never experience so much pain that it's absolutely unbearable. It's more of a "discomfort", but it's only temporary and the treatments are pretty tolerable to most people. And when you think of the long-term results...it's well worth it.

We also understand that everyone's pain threshold is different. Some treatment areas are more sensitive than others, and hormonal changes and medications can also be a factor. We will work with each patient to try to ease the discomfort and anxiety (ie. topicals, ice, splitting up visits to treat smaller areas). The good news is that since darker and coarser hair retains the most heat, it only gets better with each return visit.

Some people believe in little tricks to reduce the discomfort. Avoiding caffiene, drinking lots of water, and try to avoid scheduling treatments while you're menstruating. You might also find that taking an over-the-counter pain remedy before your visit will also cut the edge a bit.

Once we determine that you are a good candidate for laser treatments, there are 3 things you must NOT do to prepare for your visits.

Do not tan!
This includes any cosmetic substance that will tint the skin (for at least a week before your session) Pigmentation and extra melanin in the skin creates a higher risk for burning and distracts the laser from finding it's target.

Do not tweeze, wax or bleach.
You may continue to shave up until the day before treatment.

Don't moisturize or use cosmetics the day of treatment.
Come in with the area fresh, clean, and closely shaven. Products might block or magnify the laser, or may cause a negative reaction.

Red, white, grey and blonde hairs will not respond to treatments at all. Very fine peach fuzz hair (vellus) is a challenge to treat as well. There is no laser in existence that can treat these hairs, so be cautious of promises you see from other clinics. The best we can do is put you on a maintenance program to reduce the hair on the surface layer, but we cannot guarantee long-term reduction. Speak to us about your options. We will be realistic and won't make you any broken promises.

Depending on the area to be treated, sessions range anywhere from a few minutes to one hour. If you are treating multiple areas, you may decide that spacing out your appointments is a better option for you. Some people find they can tolerate shorter treatments much easier, but overall, the process goes by pretty quickly. We'll have you in and out quickly if time is a concern for you.

For the first four sessions, we encourage you to come back every five weeks or so. There are some areas that require longer durations between visits, but the early treatments can be done closer together. After the fourth visit, we will reassess your situation and start to spacethe visits out much further, to every six or eight weeks. We can also revisit the pricing structure at this time to cut down some of your expense. A majority of your hair will already be eliminated at this point.

Mild scarring and ingrown hairs will not impact your treatment in any way. As a matter of fact, you will see an improvement in skin texture and an elimination of ingrown hairs entirely after only one or two visits. This makes you a great candidate for treatment and you will get a double advantage.

You can expect to see some redness (follicular edema) in the treatment area which will feel like a mild sunburn for the first few hours. You might also see bumps similar to goosebumps which are caused by the swelling of the follicle. These are all positive signs that the hair follicle was affected. If your skin is extra sensitive, these effects may last up to 72 hours, but typically they are gone after only a few hours. This is not usually noticeable, so you can comfortably resume your regular daily activities. You can apply ice to help the swell go down quicker, and you may use make-up on the treated area after about an hour. Mineral make-up is often a safe bet since it contains many healing properties.

It's wise to avoid the sun for at least one week following treatment to allow the skin to heal. Also try to avoid high energy exertion for the first 24 hours, as sweat may irritate the treated area. And don't pick at your skin or exfoliate for the first few days.

In 2 - 3 weeks, you will start to feel excessive stubble on the surface of the treated area. This is the hair shedding. The follicles are expelling the dead hair. You may continue to shave during this time to keep the area smooth and hair free. During this time, you are encouraged to exfoliate to help along the natural shedding process. Once all of the treated hairs have fully shed, you will enjoy a few weeks of being hair-free, before the next cycle of hair starts coming in.