How does laser hair removal work?
Esteticas’ Fotona Nd:Yag laser works by destroying the blood flow at the base of your hair follicle. When this blood flow is gone, the follicle and its active parts will shrivel and die. There are 4 phases in a follicle growth cycle: Early Growth, Active Growth, Regression, and Resting. A follicle in an Active Growth phase contains engorged blood flow and will be affected on your treatment day. A resting follicle has less blood supply and will not be affected by treatment. This is true for all forms of permanent hair removal.

How is Esteticas’ laser different?
Our Nd:Yag laser has many safety features. The wavelength of the laser is 1064 nanometers. This makes the target in the hair follicle hemoglobin i.e. blood supply. The depth of penetration goes to the very deepest follicle and people of all skin colors can be safely treated. Other lasers, with a shorter wavelength, target melanin. We all have melanin in our skin. Treatments with shorter wavelength lasers result in heat absorbed into the skin, often not deep enough to effectively destroy a follicle, and have a higher incidence of skin reactions and damage.

Our laser also has a computerized scanner. The entire hair growth area is scanned with a minimum of 13% overlap so that no follicle is missed and chances of side effects are minimized. Most other laser hair removal systems are done by free hand.

Treatments with Esteticas’ Fotona Nd:Yag laser require no anesthetics and no down time with very low risk of side effects.

What will my skin look like after treatment?
In most people there is no sign that a treatment has been done.

How many treatments will I need?
The average person needs six treatments. How many treatments you will need will depend on your number of growth cycles and how hair-free you wish to be. Because a hair follicle can only be destroyed in an “active growth” cycle, your treatments will be timed to destroy the most hair follicles with each visit. Usually treatments will be 4 to 8 weeks apart.

How long will it take for me to lose my hair?
If you stop watering a plant today it will not die the next day. A follicle that loses its blood supply will also take time to shrivel and die. You will lose your hair in 2-3 weeks after your treatment.

Can I pluck or wax my hair between treatments?
No. Plucking or waxing pulls the hair out of the follicle and may disrupt the growth cycle. You may trim or shave as much as you wish between treatments. Shaving does not change the type of hair that you grow.

What are the possible side effects from treatment?
While side effects are rare, some clients may have a swollen appearance to the follicle for a few minutes after treatment. This usually resolves before the client leaves the treatment room. Because the laser generates heat within the follicle, there is risk of a small water blister. This is not common occurrence. Rarely, this may result in a change in skin pigmentation at that site or scarring.

What is the cost of laser hair removal?
Cost will depend on area covered, not how thick the hair growth is. Package prices can be arranged if more than one body area is to be treated. An accurate assessment of cost will be determined at your free consultation.