Laser hair removal, a review of common beliefs regarding treatment in the Damascus, MD area

Modern technology has changed the way we accomplish many tasks in our society. Many areas of life have become easier or more streamlined. Today, it is even possible to maximize grooming habits by taking advantage of dermatologic services like laser hair removal, or reduction. When this type of treatment is performed, men and women find that they can throw away their tweezers and razors and free up valuable time in their daily schedule for more important things. Laser hair removal is more correctly called laser hair reduction at this point in time. If you have heard of laser hair removal or reduction, it is quite likely that friends, family, or your trusted beauty website have offered up some sort of review of this type of service. We at Washington Dermatology Center want our patients from Rockville, Damascus, and surrounding areas to know fact from fiction so that they may decide if laser hair reduction is right for them.

Laser hair reduction treatment does not work on gray or blonde hair

True. The power of laser hair reduction lies in the effect laser energy has on pigment, and pigment is present only in colored hairs. Hairs that are very light blonde or gray pose a challenge for laser light, with dark hairs having the most dramatic response. Gray hairs no longer produce pigment at all, and may not respond at all to laser hair reduction treatment. What this means is that people who are considering laser hair reduction should act before hair begins to gray in order to achieve the best results.

Plucking and waxing should cease prior to treatment

True. Laser hair reduction works by targeting hairs within the individual hair follicles. When light is absorbed by these hairs, there is a thermal response that alters the follicle. If there is no hair in the follicle due to plucking or waxing, laser light is not absorbed and no lasting effects occur. Though plucking, waxing, or other removal by the root should cease, patients may continue to shave.

Laser treatment removes only 10 to 25 percent of hairs

Partially true. Hair growth occurs in cycles, with both an active phase and a resting phase occurring at different times in the growth cycle. Laser hair reduction treatments affect hairs that are within the follicle, those that are in the active growth phase. From this standpoint, only a percentage of hair is removed in a single treatment. This statement, however, is partially false, as well, because laser hair reduction is not a single-procedure treatment. Your dermatologist recommends a number of treatment sessions based on hair much hair needs to be removed. Over the course of four to six sessions, we are able to achieve more than 90 percent reduction in unwanted hair.

Laser hair reduction can damage dark skin

True and false! The earliest laser hair reduction devices, in their limited technology, would cause a reaction in the pigment of skin, creating the risk of scarring. Today, the devices used for laser hair reduction contain advanced technology that focuses a laser beam into hair follicles, leaving surface skin intact and healthy. At Washington Dermatology Center, we treat patients of various skin types and tones. We are happy to answer your questions about laser hair reduction. To schedule your consultation, contact our Rockville or Frederick office.