Laser Hair
Removal - Four Advantages
Laser Hair Removal Fights Public Enemy Number -1: Body Hair
By Robert Ailes, M.D.
As Americans everywhere are shaping up for the spring, hitting the gym and donning lighter clothes, they want to feel confident at the beach or pool without the unnecessary stress of worrying about embarrassing shaving bumps, razor burn, or worse – stray hairs which become very visible in bright sunlight.
Traditional hair removal techniques such as shaving, waxing and tweezing only provide temporary relief and may actually stimulate hair growth and cause skin infection. Electrolysis, while effective, often requires years of ongoing treatments and is particularly painful.
Laser hair
removal offers
four main advantages:
1) comfort
2)
speed
3) accuracy
4) long-term effectiveness
Laser hair removal is soaring in popularity – last year in the US there were almost 2 million procedures performed. Today it ranks as the fastest growing non-surgical cosmetic enhancement procedure and is second only to Botox in numbers of treatments.
Ideal Image (www.idealimage.com)
the nation's leader in the laser hair removal industry has performed over
100,000 laser hair removal treatments. The most common procedure seen for
women in the US is facial hair while men are seeking a remedy to their hairy
backs.
So with salons and spas racing to add laser hair removal to their menu of services, how can you be sure you're selecting a clinic that not only offers effective removal of the hair, but also employs the highest safety measures? Below are tips to finding the right laser hair removal place for you.
First, ask questions
Who supervises the laser operators and how are they trained? Can you take a tour of the facility and meet the staff? Is the website informative? How many procedures have they performed? Will they perform a test spot on your skin for the area you would like to have treated? Will they provide you with a list of their customers who you can speak to first hand to ask questions about their experience at that facility?
Find out how
many lasers they have
Many places offering laser hair removal have a one-size-fits-all mentality and use the same laser on all patients. A reputable clinic should have multiple lasers so they can customize and tailor treatments to individual hair and skin types. Also, they should require you to complete a detailed medical history form to be sure there are no contra-indications to your laser treatment.
Find out who performs the laser hair removal
State regulations vary across the US. It's as important to know when to use the laser, as it is when NOT to use it. A handful of states limit the practice to physicians. Consequently not much laser hair removal is done in those states.
While some
laser procedures should be done only by a physician, laser hair removal
is not one of them. It is a simple procedure of exceedingly low risk. Even
when the procedure is performed in a doctor's office, you will rarely find
a doctor actually doing the procedure. On the other hand, some states have
virtually no minimal requirement for practitioners of laser hair removal. Medical
professionals such as nurses, advanced nurse practitioners and certified
physician assistants, under physician supervision and using physician-written
protocols, best do the procedure.
Practitioners
should be trained by the laser manufacturer. In addition to manufacturer
training, Ideal Image provides
a comprehensive two-week training program for all treatment providers. Know
the risks
Generally the highest risk associated with laser hair removal
is mild sunburn. However, the laser center should provide you with an 'Informed
Consent' form, detailing everything you need to know about your procedure,
and they should take time to answer all your questions.
The senior reviewer for the FDA's office of device evaluation,
Richard Felton, indicated that in the last decade, the agency had record
of only 60 consumer complaints; most of those were complaints that the procedure
didn't work.
Are you even a candidate?
Most people who complain laser hair removal doesn't work weren't
appropriate candidates to begin with. Choose a clinic that offers a free
consultation to determine if the procedure is right for your hair and skin
type.
Laser hair removal is most effective on light skin with dark
hair but, with the appropriate laser, can also be done on dark skin as well.
Since
the laser beam is attracted to melanin, the pigment in brown and black
hair, it's not usually effective on blond, gray or red hair.
Robert J. Ailes, M.D.
Director of Research & Development and Corporate Medical Director
Ideal Image Development Corporation
Tampa, Florida
Laser Hair
Removal - Ideal Image is making shaving and waxing seem obsolete with
their safe, comfortable and cost-effective laser hair removal procedures.
http://www.idealimage.com
Source: http://www.ezine-articles.com
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