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Laser Hair Reduction
Laser Hair Removal with
GentleMax Pro®
Excessive amounts of hair that grows in distinctly noticeable areas on the body can make a person feel embarrassed and insecure about their appearance. Most hair removal treatments and at-home methods like shaving and waxing can be painful and only provide temporary results. Fortunately, Totality offers laser hair removal with GentleMax Pro® to safely and effectively eliminate unwanted and stubborn hair in multiple areas of the body.
Our Gentlemax Pro for laser hair removal consists of two lasers, Alexandrite and NDYag. There is, quite simply, no better technology that currently exists on Earth for laser hair removal.
Laser Hair Reduction
Treatment
Procedure
Your laser hair removal is a fast, safe, and non-surgical treatment that is performed on an outpatient basis. GentleMax Pro® uses a unique dual-mode system and a dynamic cooling device (DCD) that lets out cold bursts of air on the treated area. This will provide patients with a comfortable and pain-free treatment without the need for anesthesia or traditional numbing creams. It is also equipped with the most significant spot size in the industry (about 2.4 cm) to address larger areas of the body like the back or legs.
Before you come in for your treatment, be sure to shave along the treated area you wish to address. During your procedure, the GentleMax Pro® will eliminate unwanted hair by targeting and destroying the follicle at the root, thus leaving the surrounding skin and tissue unharmed. This will safely and effectively reduce hair growth on all skin types in multiple areas.
Recovery
Because laser hair removal is a non-invasive procedure, you will be able to return to your regular activities after your treatment. You may experience some temporary skin irritation and redness, but this should resolve after a few days. Make sure to protect your new contours from direct sun exposure and apply plenty of sunscreen daily. It is important that you follow all instructions given to you for a quick and easy recovery.
Results
Following a laser hair removal treatment, you will notice a reduction in the amount and thickness of hair. Your skin will look and feel smoother after just one sitting. A laser hair treatment will also boost your appearance and self-esteem. On average, you will need to undergo at least six treatments to get the results you desire. Additional touch-up sessions may be required depending on the amount of hair in the treated area.
Ideal Candidates
Ideal candidates for laser hair removal must be in good health, have no cuts or damaged skin on the treated area, and have realistic expectations. Patients who experience stubborn ingrown hair may also benefit from a laser hair removal treatment. Both men and women can benefit from this treatment to eliminate undesirable hair in one or more of the following areas:
• Face
• Neck
• Chest
• Arms
• Underarms
• Legs
• Back
• Bikini area
“Some individuals require more treatments than others. Reasons for requiring extra treatments to achieve acceptable outcomes include hormonal change, darker skin types, thicker hair, not following the schedule of hair growth, waxing or plucking hair before treating.”
All About Laser Hair Removal
This medical treatment utilizes a laser to remove unwanted hair. During the treatment, a laser emits a light that is absorbed by the pigment in the hair, called melanin. This light energy is converted to heat and travels through the hair to the follicle within the skin. The heat energy damages the follicles to inhibit or delay future hair growth.
A Closer Look
The basic principle of hair removal with lasers is that the pigment of the hair, but not of the skin, should absorb the light energy. This allows the skin to remain unharmed while the unwanted hair absorbs the energy so the follicle can be damaged. This means that the treatment works best when there is a contrast between hair and skin color.
In the early days of this treatment, it was difficult to effectively perform it on individuals who did not have a high contrast between their skin and hair colors, meaning light skin with dark hair. However, technological advances have been made that allow for effective hair removal for individuals with dark skin using long-pulsed NDYAG lasers.
Stay Out Of The Sun
Your doctor will advise you to stay out of the sun as much as possible before treatment. When you can’t avoid being in the sun, wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen of at least SPF30.
Aftercare
After each laser treatment, avoid sunlight as much as possible. Don’t use a tanning bed for at least six weeks and make sure to use a broad-spectrum sunscreen of at least SPF30 daily.
How to Prepare
Your first step towards getting rid of your unwanted hair is to schedule a consultation with Chetco Medical & Aesthetics. At your consultation, your doctor will ask you about what you’re looking for with laser hair removal. They will ask you about your medical history and any medications you take, both prescriptions and over-the-counter.
Make sure you include any supplements or herbs you take as these can impact the treatment. Your doctor will also take photos of the areas of your body where you are having hair removed for before-and-after assessments. Your doctor will also provide you with specific instructions to prepare for the treatment.
Lighten Your Skin
The treatment is most successful when the pigment of your skin is lighter than the hair. It’s important that you avoid any sunless tanning creams that darken your skin. It’s also possible that your doctor will prescribe a skin bleaching cream if you have a recent tan.
Shave Treatment Area
Trim or shave the treatment area the day before you come in for your laser treatment. This removes hair above the surface but leaves the follicle intact below the skin. It also ensures that the hair doesn’t burn your skin during treatment.
The Treatment
During the treatment, you will be given special goggles to protect your eyes from the laser. If your hair is still too long on the area being treated, an assistant may shave the site again. Your doctor will apply a topical anesthetic to your skin so you don’t feel anything at all during the treatment. The doctor will use a handheld laser instrument to treat the skin area. The light will pass through your skin and damage the follicles beneath the surface. Treating a small area will only take a short period of time, while a larger area requires more time to treat.
Avoid Some Methods of Hair Removal
It’s important that the hair follicle remains intact for the laser treatment to be effective. Your doctor will ask you to avoid plucking and waxing for at least four weeks before the procedure as any of these can disturb the follicle.
Avoid Blood-Thinning Medications
When you are having your consultation with your doctor, they will advise you about which medications are not safe to take before this treatment. Aspirin and other anti-inflammatory drugs can have the side effect of being blood-thinning and must be avoided prior to treatment.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Many Sessions Do You Need For Laser Hair Removal?
Everyone’s body is different, and different biological factors can impact how many sessions you need in order to fully remove your unwanted hair. Generally, clients need about five to ten laser treatments in order to completely get rid of hair.
You can expect to see about a 10% to 25% reduction in hair after your first treatment. As you continue your treatments, more and more hair will fall out, and you’ll notice that it continues to grow back more slowly.
How Often Can You Have A Hair Removal Treatment?
Is laser hair removal permanent? If not, how long do you need to wait between laser treatments? It depends on several factors, and your doctor will let you know how long you should wait between treatments. Generally, clients can have hair removal every four to eight weeks.
One factor to keep in mind in regards to future treatments is that hair does not grow at the same rate on different parts of the body. If you are having treatments on an area where hair grows quickly, such as your upper lip, you might have laser treatments every four weeks. If you’re having treatments done on a part of the body where hair grows slowly, like the back, you might only have treatments every 10 to 15 weeks.
Is There A Permanent Hair Removal?
After having your full set of laser treatments, you will be hair-free for months or even years. If you grow hair again in the treated area, you will notice that it’s far thinner and less noticeable than your hair was prior to treatment. You may require occasional maintenance treatments in order to remain hair-free.
Can Laser Removal Help With Other Issues?
One great benefit of laser removal is that it helps with ingrown hairs. This is a miracle for people who tend to get ingrown hairs from shaving their legs or bikini area. Switching to laser removal won’t just get rid of the hair more effectively and permanently, but it will also give you clearer, smoother skin with less irritation.
Is There Any Downtime?
There is no downtime for this treatment. You should be able to go about the rest of your day normally without discomfort.
How Long Does It Take For Your Hair To Fall Out?
The hair in the treated area doesn’t fall out immediately, but it will shed over a period of time: usually days to weeks. Hair growth happens in cycles, and the repeated treatments work best when they target the follicles in the new-growth stage.
As you continue having treatments, your hair will continue to fall out and thin until it’s gone. You might need maintenance laser treatments to keep your hair gone long-term.
What Body Parts Can Undergo This Treatment?
The most common locations to have laser removal treatment for unwanted hair are the legs, armpits, upper lip, chin, and bikini line. That being said, you can basically have this treatment done anywhere on your body except on your eyelids and the surrounding areas.
What About Home Lasers?
There are home hair removal lasers available on the market, and it can be tempting to go for an at-home device rather than go in for treatments. But these devices tend to not be effective, especially in the long-term.
Furthermore, the FDA considers them to be cosmetic, not medical. meaning that they are not inspected with the level of scrutiny that they should be. Overall, these devices are dangerous and ineffective. If you’re going to invest in laser hair removal, it should be with a trusted doctor otherwise you would have laser hair removal side effects.
Is Laser Removal The Only Way To Get Rid Of Unwanted Hair?
Definitely not, but it is the most effective and the most popular. Let’s take a look at the alternatives to see why.
- Shaving
- This is perhaps the most popular way to get rid of unwanted hair, because it’s easy, fast, and cheap. But, there are plenty of downsides. Because you are only cutting the hair off at the skin rather than removing or damaging the follicle, the hair grows back much faster. Plus, when you shave hair consistently, it has a tendency to come back thicker and darker.
- Waxing
- Waxing involves covering your unwanted hair with wax, then ripping it off. This has the benefit of pulling out the follicle in addition to the hair and means that the results last for a much longer time because the follicle has to regrow. This also means that when the hair does grow back, it tends to be softer and thinner. However, this method tends to be more than just a little painful, which is why so many individuals don’t choose to wax.
- Depilatory
- Depilatories are creams that basically burn your hair off. Some depilatories work on the hair above the surface of the skin, while others can penetrate through the skin to the follicle. The effectiveness of these creams varies depending on the thickness and color of the hair. Of course, this method also has some major downsides. Because depilatories are chemicals, they can irritate or even burn the skin.
- Electrolysis
- Electrolysis is similar to laser removal because it involves sending energy into the hair follicle. Electrolysis, however, sends electrical energy directly into the follicle, whereas laser removal involves using light energy that is converted into heat energy.
- Using electricity is a more effective way to get rid of the follicle, meaning that electrolysis is more likely than laser removal to permanently remove hair.
- That being said, electrolysis involves literally sending an electrical pulse into your follicle. Because of that, the treatment tends to be very painful. Another reason people do not tend to choose electrolysis over laser removal is that you can typically only have this treatment done on small areas, like the eyebrows and face.
Related Procedures
Hair Restoration
Waxing
Lash Extensions
Microblading
Testimonials
Came to see my most favorite person, Dr. Nadel, and staff today! I started coming to see Dr. Nadel in 2022. She helped me immensely with my lips, which had been filled incorrectly for a long, long time! I come to her, only, because she is a wealth of knowledge and her bedside manner is spectacular! One of the nicest and most honest people I have ever met! Her staff is also incredible - so friendly and professional. Always go above and beyond to help. You won’t go wrong coming to see them. You will be thrilled! ❤️
I had an amazing experience at Totality Med Spa! I received Botox and filler from Sarah, and I couldn’t be happier with the results. She made me feel so comfortable, and the results look incredibly natural—exactly what I was hoping for. The entire team was so sweet and professional, and the atmosphere of the spa was warm and welcoming. Highly recommend Totality Med Spa for anyone looking for top-notch care and beautiful results!
The best staff! Grace and Sarah made sure I was so comfortable and they gave such great service. The office is gorgeous!
This salon is fantastic. Maureen explained everything- she is knowledgeable, professional, and friendly! She truly went above and beyond and I’ll be back again asap!
I highly recommend Totality specifically the Downtown location! It is always so refreshing walking into a place filled with people that all truly care about you. The girls in the front specifically Christina are so welcoming and friendly. They greet you with smiles and make the paperwork/photos process and scheduling so easy. I always walk out feeling my best not only from the appointment but also from the refreshing conversation while im waiting or at check out. I’ve never experienced such a welcoming environment. Not only are the two girls in the front amazing but the whole staff go above and beyond. Bethany Smith is hands down the best. She is so knowledgeable and makes you feel so seen and heard. She takes the time to research and find the right products for your skin. I feel like a lot of people will just recommend products just to sell them BUT not Bethany. Every product she recommends she educates you on and why it can help but she never pressures you into buying it. The product regimen she put me on has saved my skin, I couldn’t be happier. Sarah M is also amazing. I came to her originally to get my some of my lip filler dissolved from a different Medspa and the way she educated me on where and why she was dissolving built my trust in her but also the results were beautiful. She also did my liquid rhinoplasty and just wow!! She takes the time to listen to your concerns and will give you honest answers on if you need more or less filler or Botox. She truly cares about her clients and how she can help them become more confident without overdoing it. These wonderful ladies have never made me feel like a number or random client, they go above and beyond to make sure I have the best experience.
Thank you Totality Medispa:))) I am so happy that I finally found this place and the products I have been looking for. I have been using Obagi Nu Derm RX products prescribed by a doctor many years back from UAE and I never needed a prescription after that. I have been buying them every year when I travel . This year I couldn’t travel and I thought that Obagi FX would control my pigmentation but it didn’t work. My melasma is back and my skin started to look so dull with an uneven skin tone which is making me look ugly :((. Canada doesn’t sell RX system . If I want to buy the product online then I need a prescription and to find an online physician …in short very disappointed. A big thank you to Totality Medispa that I could purchase online without any difficulties and everything was so easy and I received my order. Prompt , efficient and great service . Thank you so much and I highly recommend them .
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Before + After
Gallery
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