Tired of plucking, shaving or waxing? For permanent reduction of unwanted hair anywhere on the face or body, the Alma Soprano laser offers a virtually painless, efficient, affordable alternative… Hair Removal lasers have been in use since 1997, and have become popular because of the speed and efficiency of the process- a medical study conducted in 2000 concluded that lasers were 60 times faster, less painful and more reliable than electrolysis for the removal of dark coarse hair. Lasers work by a process of selective photothermolysis; the light energy produced by the laser is taken up by the melanin producing cells around the hair follicle, and converted into heat, causing fibrosis and permanent destruction of the follicle,. Multiple treatments, usually 5-7, occasionally more, depending on the type of hair and skin colour, are required to provide long-term reduction of hair. Treatments are spaced 4-6 weeks apart for most areas, because the laser targets hairs only in the active growing phase (anagen). Ideally the spacing of treatments should be guided by the individual’s response to treatment- it is best to wait until shedding of the treated hairs has occurred, (usually complete by 2-3 weeks), followed by regrowth of enough hair to warrant another treatment. It is important to note that lasers cannot treat grey, light blond or light red hair, and are not effective on fine vellus “peach fuzz” hair. There are 2 types of melanin in hair – eumelanin (which gives hair a brown or black appearance) and phaeomelanin (which gives hair a blond or reddish coloration) – laser energy is selectively absorbed by eumelanin- hence its relative ineffectiveness in targeting light hair. The most efficient combination for treatment is pale skin and coarse dark hair, although the Soprano laser can safely and effectively treat dark skinned individuals. We do not advise treatment within 4 weeks of active suntanning or use of sunbeds, however, as “activated” melanocytes can cause skin sensitivity, and place the person at risk of burning or hyperpigmentation of the treated area.
Cautions and potential side effects:
The Soprano laser employs a dual chill Sapphire tip for contact cooling of the skin; it is rare that discomfort exceeds the level of a warm pins and needles feeling- but typically we have identified the above areas as being more sensitive in a small percentage of persons. Additionally, this laser has a unique setting, SHR mode, that allows us to “stack” pulses at a low fluence and gradually heat up the hair follicle to the proper damage point instead of just blasting unwanted hair at uncomfortably high settings, thus allowing us to offer very comfortable treatments for large surface areas such as legs, back etc.
The area will be slightly red immediately after treatment- this is a temporary effect, and usually is gone within 20 mins; additionally, if the treated hair is very dark and coarse, there may be a little swelling around each follicle – a “goosebump” type of effect known as perifollicular oedema, which again is a temporary effect. Very rarely, a small crust may form around the treated follicle – which will disappear in a couple of days. Rarely, a mild sunburn feeling may be experienced, usually by darker- skinned persons – which will resolve very quickly with application of aloe vera gel or ice.
Darker skinned individuals, or those with recent suntans or exposure to the sun after treatment, may be at a slight risk of developing darker pigmentation in the treated areas; conversely, rarely dark- skinned individuals may carry a small risk of loss of pigmentation in treated areas. If you have dark skin, and have experienced a change in skin pigmentation around a scar or in areas of the skin affected by acne, you may be at risk of this happening following laser treatment. Failure to respond to treatment / regrowth of hair There are anecdotal reports of an extremely small number of people with otherwise suitable hair who will not respond to treatment- there is no rational explanation why this should occur; if we do not see a response to the first treatment, we will increase the treatment parameters until we see a suitable skin response; some people may require more treatment sessions than others, especially those with darker skin, or lighter hair. Our price structure is based on an average of 6 sessions per individual per area; you can pay per session as you go, or buy upfront a package of 6 sessions for the price of 5; additional sessions above 6 are discounted to 50% of the normal price per session.
The principle behind laser hair removal is to deliver enough energy to the growing hair follicle to permanently damage that follicle: regrowth of a hair would mean that insufficient energy was absorbed by that follicle to result in permanent destruction; reasons for this would be:
WOMEN Upper lip $75.00 ( additional areas face or neck $25/session)
Back & Shoulders $299.00
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