Laser Hair Removal

Patient Safety

Our laser hair removal treatments are carried out by skilled nurses under the careful supervision of an on-site dermatologist.

Understanding Laser Treatment

A laser produces a beam of highly concentrated light. The wavelength of light produced by a particular laser is the key to its effect on hair follicles. The light emitted by the hair removal laser is absorbed by pigment located in hair follicles. The light pulses for a fraction of a second.

Understanding Hair Removal

Hair grows in cycles, and many factors influence its growth. Age, ethnicity, medications, hormone levels and even body site all influence the length, coarseness and colour of body hair. How much hair you have depends on how many hairs are in their active growth cycle and how long that cycle lasts.

On your head, 90% of the hair is in its active growth cycle, with 10% in a resting phase. An individual scalp hair may grow for as long as 7 years, followed by a 2 to 4 month rest period. On the other hand, the hairs on your arms have an active growth cycle of only 1-3 months before they revert to a resting phase, and at any given time 70% of those hairs may be growing. That is why the hair on your scalp can grow so much longer than hair anywhere else on the body. The hair removal laser works by disabling hairs that are in their active growth phase. Given that other hairs will enter their growth phase at different times, additional treatments will be necessary to disable all hair follicles in a particular area.

How many treatments will I need?

For the body, it usually involves 4-6 treatments over 1 to 1 1/2 years and 6-8 treatments for facial areas (difference accounted for by the more rapid cycling of facial hair). Additional maintenance sessions may be required after that. In some situations (i.e., back hair in some males), a significant partial reduction in hair density and reduction in hair shaft thickness after one or only a few treatments may be all that is desired.

What are the main advantages of Laser Hair Removal?

In the past, the usual remedies for unwanted hair were plucking, shaving. waxing or chemical depilatories. Some are painful, some messy, and all of these are only temporary.

For long-term hair removal, electrolysis is popular and effective but can be painful and is a tedious, time-consuming process. It typically takes months or even years of frequent treatments -- even for small areas, such as between our eyebrows. Risks include infection, pitting and scarring.

Our hair removal laser uses a unique cooling hand piece which avoids the kind of skin irritation that other methods may create. Groups of hair follicles are treated in rapidly successive pulses which allows large areas to be treated in a much more efficient manner than was previously possible. Finally, our hair removal laser is a precise instrument that can be adjusted to the exact parameters that will disable only the hair follicle, minimally affecting the surrounding skin. It is vital, however, that you do not come to treatments with a tan since that darker pigment will absorb laser energy and potentially damage skin. For optimum treatment safety, however, the laser should be operated by an experienced, well-trained technician under physician supervision.

What areas can be treated?

Women can effectively treat their upper lip, cheeks, chin, neck, chest, breasts, underarms, arms, abdomen, bikini area and legs. The most popular sites for men are the back, chest and neck

Is Laser Hair Removal effective for all hair types?

Hair must have a dark pigment to absorb the laser beam in order to have an effect. White, grey, blonde and red hair will therefore not respond.

How do I find out more?

To book a consultation phone 905.664.5850 or use our online Consultation Request Form.