Laser Hair Removal

Hair in areas of the body where we don’t want it can become a cause of serious concern for both men and women. Hair removal — whether you choose to pluck, shave or wax — can be very time-consuming and a continual source of frustration. Also, if you live anywhere where you experience hot summer months and overall warmer temperatures, as we do in El Paso, you might find the task of hair removal almost inescapable if you want to wear swimsuits, tank tops or other clothes styled for this type of weather.

The real problem with all available hair removal techniques — including the ones we’ve named above — is that they are temporary. You’ll have to repeat the process regularly to keep your skin smooth and hair-free, but hair quickly grows back, leaving you with stubble and forcing you to start the process all over again. Waxing — the most effective of your hair removal options — at best will last only a few weeks. At this point, you might think you have no good options if you are struggling with hair removal.

Patients who have body areas beset with unwanted hair need a better option, one that provides them with an effective solution and near-permanent results. The Cosmetic Surgery & Laser Centers of El Paso offers its patients an ideal treatment for this problem — laser hair removal. This popular and safe technique provides individuals with high-quality results that are permanent for many individuals in a quick and comfortable procedure. You can learn more about LightSheer®, our premium laser hair removal solution, right here.

What is laser hair removal?

Laser hair removal uses highly concentrated light that is beamed into hair follicles. Lasers work by targeting the pigment, or melanin, in the root of the hair. The LightSheer system, our treatment of choice, generates intense long-pulsed light through an actively-cooled handpiece to disable unwanted pigmented hair follicles permanently. To remove the hair consistently, you must treat the hair during its growth cycle: at approximately six-week intervals. Common locations for hair removal include the legs, underarms, upper lip, chin and bikini line.

What are the benefits of laser hair removal?

Men and women alike enjoy the benefits of laser hair removal for several reasons.

• Less time spent on body hair maintenance. Because laser hair removal is the most permanent method of hair removal, you’ll save time on shaving, waxing, and plucking unwanted hair.
• Prevent and eliminate ingrown hairs. Most other hair removal methods can cause irritated skin and ingrown hairs. Laser treatment eliminates this uncomfortable problem.
• Long-term savings on products and treatments. Because the treatment is permanent, you’ll save on razors, waxing appointments and other costly hair removal treatments.
• No need to grow hair out between treatments. Unlike waxing, this treatment allows you to continue shaving between appointments.

Why Patients Should Consider a LightSheer® Hair Removal Treatment

At Cosmetic Surgery and Laser Center of El Paso, we offer the best services from the leader in laser and energy based technologies, Lumenis®. The LightSheer® DESIRE™ by Lumenis was developed as the next generation of laser hair reduction systems in the LightSheer® family of products.

At the Cosmetic Surgery & Laser Centers of El Paso, we use the LightSheer® DESIRE™ Technology to resolve the following patient concerns:

• Effective hair removal, permanent hair reduction and treatment of Pseudofolliculitis Barbae (PFB).
• Treatment of vascular lesions and benign pigmented lesions.

The Benefits of a LightSheer Treatment

LightSheer offers our patients many benefits, which include:

• Short treatment time: High-speed vacuum assisted technology reduces treatment time, and there is no need for prep time because cooling and anesthetics aren’t necessary.
• Comfortable treatment: ChillTip™technology cools the skin prior to treatment and continuously cools throughout treatment.
• Long-lasting results: The LightSheer® by Lumenis® has been validated in several clinical studies, and our patients enjoy high satisfaction after treatment with the LightSheer®DESIRE.

Contact us today to find out how you can benefit from this industry-leading technology.

Preparing for Laser Hair Removal

The first step, if you’re considering laser hair removal, is to determine exactly what you want to get out of the procedure. Know what your hopes and expectations are so you can express them to a medical professional at your consultation. Schedule a consultation with one of our doctors in El Paso. At this initial appointment, the doctor will likely review your medical history and discuss the treatment process.

Importantly, there are a few things to keep in mind prior to the hair removal procedure.

• Stay out of the sun. If you tan your skin before the laser treatment, you’ll increase the risk of side effects, especially skin lightening. Because the laser targets darker pigmentation, it’s best to let a tan fade completely before the procedure. The longer you can keep the removal site out of the sun prior to treatment, the better.
• Avoid all hair removal treatments other than shaving. Waxing, plucking, and electrolysis can all interfere with the hair follicle and thus cause problems with the laser procedure. Shaving, on the other hand, does not disturb the follicle. In fact, shaving eliminates dark hair above the skin, allowing the laser to target the root rather than the surface of the skin.

What to Expect

Before the procedure, the doctor will prepare the removal site by trimming the hair and possibly applying a topical anesthetic to reduce any discomfort. During the procedure, the doctor presses a hand-held laser device to your skin. When the device is activated, the laser beam passes through the skin and targets the follicle. Larger areas can take up to a few hours, while smaller areas might only take a couple of minutes.

Hair removal procedures are different for everyone, as your hair grows in cycles and many factors influence its growth. Age, ethnicity, weight, hormones, diet, medication and metabolism all play a part in your hair’s location, thickness and resilience and these factors do affect hair removal success. The usual plan prescribed by Dr. Jabor and Dr. Reynolds is eight to 12 treatments to attain permanent optimal results. What will I need to do after my hair removal treatment? You will have few limitations on your activities after having a Lumenis LightSheer hair removal treatment, but you will notice some temporary redness and swelling in treated areas, which is completely normal and usually passes in the first few hours. However, to protect your results, you will want to avoid the heat for the first 24 hours after having LightSheer. Bacteria growth caused by heat in treated areas can adversely affect the skin and leave spots. Refrain from exercise, hot water — including steam rooms, hot tubs and hot showers — and excess sun exposure and apply sunblock regularly in the days after treatment.

Your Hair Removal Results

Laser hair removal can provide most patients with permanent results. However, for a few patients, light hair regrowth can recur. This outcome can be controlled by having an additional laser treatment one year after your initial treatment. Patients who are experiencing dramatic changes in their hormone levels may be particularly susceptible to hair regrowth but they will continue to be candidates for treatment. If you have a history of hormone problems or have recently experienced fluctuations in your hormone levels, discuss this with your doctor during your consultation so it can be planned for during your course of treatment.

How to Finance Your Hair Removal Procedure

Patients shouldn’t let costs affect their decision to have a hair removal procedure. We offer our clients many options to pay for their procedure if financing it is a concern. At the Cosmetic Surgery & Laser Centers, we accept two payment methods that make it easier for our clients to have the care they want now.

The first is CareCredit®, which offers:

• Affordable monthly payments
• Minimal interest on plans
• No upfront fees or other penalties

The second is Prosper, which offers:

• Flexible payment plans
• Low-interest rates
• No penalties on pre-payments

Our practice staff will be happy to work with you to find the best payment plan for your particular needs.

Schedule your hair removal consultation with the Cosmetic Surgery & Laser Centers of El Paso today!

The board-certified surgeons at the Cosmetic Surgery & Laser Centers of El Paso, Dr. Jabor and Dr. Reynolds, can give you the hair removal results you want. Their training and experience can deliver attractive results safely, quickly and, in most cases, permanently. These outcomes follow from the significant time each surgeon invests in the personal relationship with each patient. It is this compassionate care approach that makes the surgeons among the most sought after in El Paso for both initial treatments and follow-up procedures.

You can reach the Cosmetic Surgery & Laser Centers’ East El Paso location at 915-543-5600 and our West El Paso location at 915-543-5600. We want to see you look your best and are committed to helping you achieve your goals!