Instructions on the Alexandrite laser hair removal session
Before the Alexandrite laser hair removal session
- Shave the treatment area 2-3 days before the day your session is scheduled, so that on the day of your appointment the hair shaft is short, i.e. it barely protrudes from the skin.. Before your first Laser hair removal session, however, θyou will leave a small area, approximately 3 by 3 cm completely unshaven, so that there is "intact" hair for evaluation (color, density, hair thickness, etc.).
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Tanning beds are especially prohibited for one week after the session.
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It is prohibited to use hair removal methods that remove the hair with its follicle up to 3 weeks prior to the laser hair removal session. This means that halawa, waxing, epilators (e.g. silkepil) are prohibited.
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Hair removal treatment is prohibited if the area has been exposed to the sun and is reddened or hot, as this means that it has been burned to a certain extent and it is forbidden to apply additional energy to the area. Therefore, you must pay special attention to covering the treatment areas (e.g. arms-legs) with light clothing especially during summer on your way to the clinic before your treatment session.
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The use of products containing acids or retinol is prohibited for at least one week prior to the treatment session.
- Do not have moisturizers with fragrance or glitter on at the time of your session.
- The treatment is generally painless, however in sensitive individuals, or in particularly sensitive areas such as the bikini area, an anesthetic cream (Emla) may be used one hour prior to the treatment.
During the Alexandrite laser hair removal session
- During the session, you must strictly wear the special protective goggles that will be given to you at all times. You will take them off after the Laser operator instructs you to do so.
After the Alexandrite laser hair removal session
- A special soothing cream is usually applied after the treatment to reduce redness and irritation.
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You must not expose the area where the hair removal was performed to the sun for 3 days. This means that it is expressly prohibited to sunbathe but also during daily activities, the area should be covered with light clothing (e.g. hands and feet) and sunscreen with SPF greater than 50 especially for the face. Particularly immediately after the session, the area must be covered to avoid further exposure to sunlight when driving or leaving the clinic and for the rest of the same day.
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Tanning beds are especially prohibited for one week after the session.
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Use of products containing acids or retinol is prohibited for at least one week after treatment.
- The hairs that were not shed during the treatment do not fall off immediately, will fall off within 20-25 days after the treatment.
- Avoid creating friction on the area (e.g. with tight clothing, tights, etc.), hot water, swimming pool and gym for 24 hours.
- Systematic hydration of the treated area is recommended, especially in the first 24 hours, to counteract any irritation, which is normal in the first few hours.
Additional tips about the Alexandrite Laser hair removal
The number of sessions required for permanent hair reduction depends on a multitude of factors, such as the combination of skin phototype and color, texture and density of the hair, the gender, the age, hormonal factors, etc. In any case, special attention should be paid to the following:
Correct timing for the treatment
The hair and its follicle are sensitive to laser energy ONLY during the anagen phase of the hair.This phase lasts about 3 weeks and begins when the hair "grows" from its follicle. If this phase passes and the hair enters its catagen phase (i.e. the stabilization phase), it will "fall off" after the hair removal session, however, without permanent damage.Therefore, in order to have the best and fastest possible result from the Alexandrite Laser hair removal treatment, we should make an appointment for the next session within a maximum of 3 weeks from the time we see hair growing in the area. Practically speaking, this means that the sessions will be performed at a frequency of about every 30-40 days in the beginning, and then the interval between sessions will increase as the hairs will grow out at a slower rate..
Number of sessions
As mentioned above, permanent damage is only achieved when the hair is in its anagen phase. However, not all the hairs in our body are in synchronization regarding their phase. That is, just as the hairs from our scalp do not naturally shed all at the same time, the same thing happens with the rest of our body hairs. The international references state that an average of 10-15% of all hair will be in its anagen phase at any given moment, so it will be permanently damaged. From there concludes what experience has shown, namely that 6-10 sessions are usually required to eliminate hair growth. Nevertheless, there are also cases of patients whose hair growth is eliminated in less than 6 sessions, as well as cases of patients whose hair is never completely eliminated, but will need to sporadically repeat some hair removal sessions. The main factors affecting the effectiveness of the treatment are the following:
- The greater contrast is between hair and skin phototype (dark hair - fair skin), the more energy is absorbed by the hair shaft rather than the epidermis and the more effective the treatment is. On lighter hairs the treatment is more challenging, it takes several sessions and the results are not always predictable.
- The treated person's hormonal profile also affects the effectiveness of the treatment:
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- For children/adolescents whose hormonal profile is not age-mature, Alexandrite Laser hair removal treatment is not as effective as for an adult, so more sessions will be needed than for an adult with the same parameters (phototype, hair growth, frequency of sessions).
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Men usually require twice as long as women to achieve permanent results due to the increased androgen concentration.
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Hormonal issues, such as polycystic ovaries, can affect the effectiveness of the treatment. Therefore, an assessment of the treatment progress should be made after the fourth session, in case there are any hormonal issues that the patient is not aware of.
- In some areas that are strongly hormone-dependent, such as the upper lip and bikini line, hair growth may persist after several sessions.
