FAQ's > Laser Hair Removal | Mesotherapy | Mesolift | Restylane Botox | AFA Clay Mask | IPL Photorejuvanation | TCA Peel Laser Hair Removal FAQ's What is Laser Hair Removal? Laser Hair Removal is a breakthrough technology that uses a beam of highly concentrated light to eliminate or significantly impede hair growth, leading to permanent reduction of unwanted hair. What equipment does MAI use for Laser Hair Removal? MAI uses state-of-the-art technology - LightSheer ET Laser, the world's most advanced treatment device–for effective removal of unwanted hair. Are there favorite areas for Hair Removal? Yes! Upper lip, chin, armpits, bikini, and men's backs, legs, and arms. What areas are treated at MAI? Women: All areas of the face and neck, full face, raising and shaping a low forehead line, breasts, chest (over sternum), abdomen (“Happy Trail”), and bikini area, including: Brazilian, legs, arm pits, and arms. Men: Separation of uni-brow, cheeks, shaping of upper eye brows, ears, neck, shoulders, chest, back, arms, legs, abdomen, and pubic area. A specific word to the gentlemen: we do not routinely treat male beards, unless an obvious medical indication exists because of ingrown hairs (folliculitis barbae). How does Laser Hair Removal work? The LightSheer ET Laser was developed specifically and exclusively for the purpose of hair removal. It emits a beam that is attracted to melanin, a pigment plentiful in dark hair. The beam follows the melanin all the way into the hair follicle, converting light into heat energy that cooks the follicle and some of its appendages. Skin contains many hair follicles, all in different stages of growth or decay. When a follicle shoots up a new hair, it produces an abundance of melanin–providing the most effective time to use the laser. This explains why treatments are multiple and spaced according to the duration of various hair growth cycles. How long are treatment times? The length of a laser session may last a few minutes to an hour or more, depending upon the size of the area being treated. How many sessions does it take? It depends on the area of the skin and its peculiar length of follicle cycling. The average number of sessions is about five, with fewer on the back and possibly more on the face. Abundance of hair is found to have many causes, including ethnic, genetic, and medical. Our medical questionnaire will help us assess your specific condition and to evaluate your needs. Is there an "optimal" skin type? The laser works best on people with white skin and dark hair, although we have seen excellent results in clients with darker skin. See the Fitzpatrick Skin Assessment to determine your skin type. What is the Fitzpatrick Skin Type Assessment? It assigns you a skin type according to how your unprotected skin reacts to sun exposure. See graph. Why can darker skin be a problem for the laser treatments? The darker your skin, the more melanin it contains. Melanin is targeted by the laser treatment, so a prevalence of melanin will lead to burning of the skin, which is not the goal. The darker the skin, the greater the possibility to see hyper-pigmentation (brown spots), which is a common reaction of dark skin to any cause of inflammation. Which hair colors do not work well for Laser Hair Removal? Hair with too little pigment does not work well for Laser Hair Removal. Blond, white, grey, red, and light brown hair do not respond to laser treatments, because they contain virtually no target melanin. So if you have a chin with mostly black hairs, and a few white hairs, you will have to go after the white hairs with electrolysis when after the laser treatments. What results can I expect? Results will vary from client to client depending on skin color and intensity of hair growth. After your treatments are completed, you can enjoy your smooth skin. Occasional sporadic regrowth of hair may occur, requiring a minor touch-up. Is Laser Hair Removal painful? Most clients tolerate the procedure quite well and describe the sensation as that of a light rubber band snap. Because some clients and some areas of the body are more sensitive than others, all of our clients are pretreated with Advil and numbing cream. Why are the treatments spaced according to the stages of hair growth? Skin contains many hair follicles, all in different stages of growth or decay. When a follicle shoots up a new hair, it produces an abundance of melanin–providing the most effective time to use the laser. This explains why treatments are multiple and spaced according to the duration of various hair growth cycles.[ back to top ] Are there any risks or side effects? Yes. With dark skin and high laser energy settings, there could be a burn, a scab, or discoloration. At MAI, however, we have the experience to make sure this does not happen. Are there any contraindications for Laser Hair Removal? Pregnancy Fresh skin tan Oral medication that is light sensitizing Untreated hormonal imbalance Skin cancer Active herpes and other skin infections Other conditions, which we will evaluate before treatment Are there any immediate after-effects? After-effects, if any, are minor. They may include redness and swelling, which disappear in a short time. Most people return immediately to normal activity. What should I avoid before and after treatment? Sunshine in any form–tanning booth or natural exposure. How do I prepare for my laser session? Take 800mg of Advil 1 1/2 hours before the treatment. Arrive 30 minutes early for the appointment and put numbing cream on the area to be treated. Know your rate of hair growth well enough to shave so that at the appointment time there is a tiny, 2mm stubble peaking out of the skin. If the stubble is almost invisible the laser will not see it either. If it is too long, the laser will press onto it, bend it over and give you a minor burn on the skin rather than sending the energy into the follicle. Any time we have to do corrective trimming it will lengthen your appointment time and overlap into the next appointment. NOTE: There will be an extra charge for corrective trimming. What do I need to do for after-care? By the time you leave MAI you should be quite comfortable–we will have cooled your skin with ice packs and applied hydrating lotion. We place on your skin before you leave, and. We will cool your skin with ice packs and apply hydrating lotion after your treatment, so you should be quite comfortable by the time you leave MAI. If you are rushing back to work there are no specific precautions. Makeup can be applied within an hour of treatment. Should an area of your skin still be hot, continue with the ice packs. You also may continue the Advil until you no longer need it. What are fee ranges? MAI has set fees for the treatment areas. These are mostly related to the treatment times. A specific word for the bikini area. If you start out with a bikini strip and extend the area with every subsequent treatment session, the following will happen: 1.You will jump into another fee range. 2. Every added treatment area will require a first treatment, thereby prolonging your treatments. If you evolve from a bikini strip to a Brazilian over 4 treatment sessions, you will be done in the strip area but need several more treatments in the center! Contact us for our fee schedule. Important! Once you have committed to the treatment sessions of hair removal you are NOT allowed to go to the tanning booth, lie out on the beach, or go outside without a sun block of at least 35 SPF. You can resume those activities once your treatments are completed. But remember, you don’t want to wind up on our "sun damaged" list and require treatments for reversal of those consequences! Better be good! 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