In today's society facial and body hair have become increasingly unwelcome. There are many remedies available to individuals who have unwanted hair. Depending on budget and availability of treatments, individuals can choose from temporary methods such as shaving, waxing and tweezing, as well as more permanent solutions such as electrolysis and laser hair removal. Each individual treatment provides different hair reduction results. You can explore your options throughout this website in order to find answers to all your hair removal questions.

In the past, the usual remedies for unwanted hair were plucking shaving, waxing, or chemical depilatories. Some are painful, some are messy, and all are only temporary. For long term hair removal, electrolysis is popular and effective, but can be painful and slow. Hair by hair, an electric current passes through the needle to destroy the hair root's ability to grow. It typically takes months or even years of regular visits, even for small areas, like the upper lip. Now there's a more effective solution: Laser technology specifically designed to remove unwanted hair faster, less painfully, and more reliably than electrolysis.

A laser produces a beam of highly concentrated light. Only certain types of lasers produce the kind of energy that will permanently disable the hair follicle. The Laser is attracted to the pigment in the hair follicle. The laser pulses for a fraction of a second, just long enough to vaporize the pigment, disabling several follicles at a time to permanently eliminate or significantly impede the hair's growth. Importantly, our Laser has a special cooling hand piece. It directs the laser energy to the hair root while protecting and cooling surrounding skin.

The length of a laser session may be a few minutes to an hour or more, depending on the size of the area being treated. Hair has both an active and dormant growth phase. Because the hair follicles that are in the active growth phase are more susceptible to the laser light, several treatments every 4-8 weeks will be required for best results.

Laser treatment itself may cause a slight stinging sensation. Most patients tolerate the procedure well. But because some areas of the body are more sensitive than others, topical anesthesia is always available.

The appearance of the treated area immediately after the treatment session will vary from patient to patient depending on the extent of the treatment and skin type. Immediate after-effects, if any, are minor. They may include redness and swelling, which disappear in a short time. Most people return to normal activities right away.

There are several laser hair removal systems available in the market. The one that is being operated in our clinic is CoolGlide™ which is manufactured by Cutera.
Other systems include:
- Intense pulsed light - these systems are flash lamps producing a spectrum of light energy rather than laser light. Intense pulsed light systems tend to stun rather than kill hair follicles, so that there is often an unacceptable amount of hair re-growth, even after many "intense pulsed light" treatments.
- First generation Ruby 694 nanometer (Epilaser, Epitouch, Chromos)
- Second generation Alexandrite 755 nanometer (Epitouch ALEX, Photogenica LIPR, GentleLASE)
- Third generation Diode 800-810 nanometer (LightSheer, Apex)

These relatively short wavelength lasers can produce good results in some circumstances, but because they produce light which has a shorter wavelength, their laser energy both scatters more in the skin, and is mostly absorbed in the top few millimeters of the skin, above many of the hair roots. This means that sometimes not enough energy reaches the hair roots, where it is needed.

These short wavelength, low power systems are effective in some cases, but in other cases may only stun rather than destroy many of the hair roots and therefore sometimes cause temporary rather than permanent hair reduction. Short wavelength lasers can be difficult or impossible to use safely on people with dark, tanned or black skin.

The cooling system in 800 nm lasers usually relies on a sapphire window, which is only 1/10 the efficiency of the gold plated copper cooling head in the CoolGlide™. Because the sapphire window of the 800 nm laser has to be pressed on the skin while the laser is triggered, there is a risk that stray hairs will be burned into the skin. By comparison, there is no contact between the laser aperture and the skin when the CoolGlide™ laser beam is applied to your skin.

The Fourth Generation CoolGlide™ laser uses the longest available, deeper penetrating 1064 nanometer wavelength. CoolGlide™ reaches even the deepest hair roots, which can be 4-6 mm below the skin surface in some cases.

The long 1064 nanometer wavelength of the CoolGlide™ makes it possible to safely and effectively treat all people -- even those with tanned, very dark or black skin.

CoolGlide™ also allows the operator to adjust the duration of the pulse of laser energy to best suit the thickness of the hair shafts on different parts of your body. Some older laser systems lack this degree of fine control. The gold plated ClearView™ cooling head on the CoolGlide™ laser provides an extra margin of safety and comfort, allowing the operator a clear view of the area to be treated, and does not require pressure on your skin.

ALL parts of the body CAN be treated (and ARE treated) with the CoolGlide™ hair removing laser. In women, the most common areas for treatment are upper lip, chin, bikini line, arms, legs, and underarms. In men, the most common areas for treatment are shoulders, back, and the beard area.

Short-term side effects may include a slight reddening of the skin or local swelling which typically lasts less than an hour, although it may rarely last a few days. Fourth generation, long wavelength 1064 lasers like CoolGlide™ are less likely than older lasers to cause prolonged irritation, pigment changes or blistering. Rarely (perhaps three cases out of a hundred) there can be increased or decreased pigment in the treated area. This is seldom a major cosmetic problem, and generally resolves after several months. Even a single blister (like a tiny sunburn) is very rare (less than one in a hundred). The light from the CoolGlide™ Laser does not cause skin cancer.

""Permanent hair removal" means: "ALL the hair is gone, FOREVER!"
There is NO hair removal method (including laser) which can guarantee anybody "permanent" hair removal.

The most realistic description of the results after laser treatment is: "long-term hair REDUCTION". This means: "After four to six treatments the total amount of hair is greatly reduced -- generally by 70% to 90% -- and hair which does grow is often much finer and lighter in color." Most people are very pleased with this degree of improvement, as long as they know that this is what to expect before they have laser hair removal treatment.

It is important for you to realize that after having between four and six treatment sessions it is VERY LIKELY that there WILL BE a very substantial reduction in both the amount of hair and also a reduction in the thickness and color of the hair in the treated areas. You should expect that this reduction in hair may last for many years.

Because lasers have been used for hair removal for only the last ten years, we cannot know if the results will continue to be felt in 15 or 20 years. However, we do know that stable, long-term hair reduction commonly lasts for at least two years, and some patients who had their last treatment six or seven years ago are still enjoying a high degree of hair reduction.

The CoolGlide™ laser (and other lasers) work by destroying hair roots which are active at the time of treatment, and which have enough pigment to absorb sufficient laser energy. The hair shafts in the treated hair follicles will fall out, or be "shed" 1-3 weeks after treatment.

After the first treatment, hair re-growth may resume within a few weeks or it may be anywhere from 2-4 months before any true hair growth is observed, as previously dormant hair follicles become active, and hair follicles which were stunned but not killed recover and start to produce hair shafts again. Some people find that there is not much extra hair reduction after the second treatment, and then they notice a substantial and further reduction after the third or more commonly the fourth treatment. After four to six treatments there may be little or no re-growth for many years. In other cases you may wish to have additional treatment after a period of time.

Hair fibers that re-grow after laser treatment generally are finer and lighter in colour, and so are much less of a cosmetic problem. Reductions in coarseness and color can occur independently of each other.

New terminal hair appearing in androgen-sensitive sites (mainly the face, axillae and genital area) after successful laser epilation could result from androgen-stimulated conversion of previously dormant vellus hairs, which are not affected by the laser as long as they remain dormant and unpigmented.

All lasers work by disabling hairs that are in their active growth cycle at the time of treatment. Hair follicles in their "dormant" phase have no hair shaft in them and so will not be affected by the laser. Because hair follicles cycle through "active" and "dormant" phases, additional sessions are usually desired once the "dormant" follicles become "active", and also to deal with hair follicles which were stunned but not killed by previous treatment.

The other group of hair follicles which could produce dark terminal hair in the future is the fine vellus “peach fuzz” follicles which have no pigment and so are not affected by laser treatment. If some of these fine little “peach fuzz” follicles mature into terminal hair follicles, they can be treated with laser at that time.

There is NO treatment which will kill 100% of the hair follicles, 100% of the time. CoolGlide™ uses the longest, most deeply penetrating wavelength, and special cooling, to maximize the number of killed hair follicles and minimize the number that is stunned during each treatment session.

At any one time, 50% to 85% of your hair follicles are in the active (anagen) phase but only 1/4 to 1/3 of your hairs have enough of the pigment in their ROOTS to absorb the laser beam which destroys the hair root. So, about 1/4 to 1/3 of your hair roots are good targets for the laser beam, and can be damaged or destroyed in a single laser session.

Because 1/4 to 1/3 of the actively growing pigmented hair roots are damaged or destroyed in any one session, almost all people will want a minimum of four treatments to reach a satisfactory degree of hair reduction, and many people will wish to have more than four treatments, most commonly 5 to 8 treatments; and in some cases another session in six to twelve months to eliminate any terminal hairs which have developed when vellus hair follicles mature into terminal hair follicles.

This will depend on:


- the desired degree of hair reduction (as the amount of hair declines, some people become very enthusiastic and want even LESS hair than they had originally planned on).
- hair color (people with naturally light colored hair sometimes need more treatments)
- ethnic and genetic background (people with dark skin sometimes need more treatments).
- hormonal status
- area being treated
- hair density
- age
- weight (obesity can increase hair growth)
- medication (for example medicines like Dilantin and cyclosporine can increase hair growth)

Additional "touchup" treatments on small troublesome areas can be arranged at relatively low cost. There is no safety limit on the number of treatments a person can have. People who have been partially treated with other types of hair removing laser might in some cases need less than 3 CoolGlide™ laser treatments to reach a satisfactory degree of long-term hair reduction.

The unique design of the CoolGlide™ laser, and the long wavelength, allows treatment of people with all skin colors, and treatment of even light brown hair. Because hair which is naturally blonde, light red or white does not have enough pigment in the roots, it cannot be reliably treated with any type of laser. Fewer treatments are needed when the hair is dark and the skin is light colored -- so to get maximum effect from each session avoid tanning, but even people who have black skin can be successfully treated with the Altus CoolGlide™.

Children can be treated, for example if they have a congenital nevus or other problem with excessive hair, but the children must be old enough (for example, 12 years old) to understand and cooperate with treatment.

CoolGlide™ laser hair removal is not just for "cosmetic" problems. Patients with excess hair because of medications (for example, organ transplant patients who are taking cyclosporine) can benefit from CoolGlide™ laser hair removal; as can patients who have problems with ingrown hair and folliculitis under prosthetic devices.

Many people at some time before laser hair removal have fears and doubts. A common concern is that they are being vain. My experience has been that just about all patients who have laser hair removal are no more vain than anyone else. What does distinguish them is a desire to get the most out of life. Looking after our appearance is not a fault. After all would you leave your house with broken gutters or peeling paint? Why do less for your body? I think you should feel proud of yourself for having the courage to want to change something that you find unacceptable. I emphasize that you should only have laser hair removal if it is for you. It is a big mistake to have laser hair removal if it is just for somebody else.

Normal, reasonable people who have realistic expectations tend to be excellent candidates for CoolGlide™ laser hair removal.

Because lasers target the PIGMENT in hair roots, lasers work best on black or brown hair.Very light colored natural red or blonde hair may require 5 or 6 treatment sessions, and respond only partially.

White hair does not respond to treatment -- so get your hair lasered before your hair turns grey or white!

- How much are you bothered by your facial hair? Hair on other areas?
- How much are you bothered by the time you spend removing, treating, or concealing your facial hair? Hair on other areas?
- How uncomfortable does your facial or other unwanted hair make you feel in exchanges of affection (such as intimate exchanges with your partner)?
- How uncomfortable does your unwanted hair make you feel when you meet new people?
- How uncomfortable does your unwanted hair make you feel when you go to social gatherings, dine out in a public restaurant, go to a supermarket or other public place?
- How uncomfortable does your unwanted hair make you feel when you go to work or class?

To get the best results with the smallest number of treatment sessions, please pay attention to the following guidelines as you work with us:

a - Avoid waxing / sugaring / plucking / EpiLady and electrolysis

Because the laser beam seeks out and destroys ACTIVELY GROWING hair roots, it is important (if you want to get the best value from your treatment) NOT to wax / pluck / sugar / use EpiLady-type pluckers or have electrolysis for at least SIX WEEKS before laser treatment. These things temporarily remove the pigmented part of the hair follicle which the laser needs to use as a target when it destroys the hair follicle.

b - Tanning should be avoided!

CoolGlide™ is the safest and most effective laser for ALL types of skin, even black people who cannot be safely treated with other hair removing lasers. Many Italian, Greek, and East Asian have been successfully treated with the CoolGlide™ laser.

BUT: the lighter your skin color at the time of treatment, the better the laser beam can get through the skin to the hair roots, where it is needed.

SO: tanning is not a BIG deal, but if you avoid tanning and stop using artificial "tanning" creams for six weeks before treatment, you will get the maximum possible benefit from each treatment session. People with very dark skin (and people who are really into tanning) sometimes need one or two extra sessions to reach their desired degree of long-term hair reduction.

It is also a good idea to minimize tanning for a few weeks after laser treatment, to reduce the chance that your tan will be somewhat uneven.

c - Shaving or clipping the hair? Good idea!

Shaving or clipping the area to be treated is not a problem. In fact, we like the areas to be shaved the day of treatment or the day before. Some people find that the skin is less sensitive if it is shaved at least a few hours before treatment. Another advantage of shaving the area to be treated BEFORE you come in is that YOU can shape the area to be treated exactly the way YOU want it to be. This is of particular importance in areas like the sideburns, temples, and bikini line / bikini area.

Excess hair should be removed from the treatment area before CoolGlide™ treatment, because hair ABOVE the surface of the skin will simply absorb and waste laser energy and keep it from getting to the hair roots, where it is needed.

Contrary to popular belief, shaving DOES NOT make hair grow back thicker, faster, darker or more profusely! So go ahead and shave before treatment, and between treatments!

d - Timing:

It takes 6 to 12 weeks for the next crop of hair roots to become active and develop pigment which is the target for the laser. So, to get the best value from your CoolGlide™ treatments, you should wait 6-12 weeks between treatments.

There is no harm in having CoolGlide™ treatments MORE FREQUENTLY than every 6 weeks, or having CoolGlide™ treatments less than 6 weeks after waxing, plucking, etc. -- but this is less efficient, and could increase the total number of treatments needed to get a good result.

Also, while there is no harm in waiting MORE THAN 6-8 weeks between treatments (for example, if there has not been much regrowth after your last CoolGlide™ laser treatment), there is usually no extra BENEFIT to waiting longer than 12 weeks between treatments.

e - Medications?

We are not aware of any medications which should not be taken while you are getting CoolGlide™ laser treatment. Anabolic steroids should certainly NOT be taken unless medically necessary, because these can increase male-pattern hair growth in some cases. Women to take injections of Climacteron (testosterone and estradiol) as part of therapy for menopause and to increase libido often experience unwanted hair growth, which can be treated with CoolGlide™ laser hair removal.

Medicines which inhibit hair growth (for example, spironolactone, Diane-35 birth control pills, Euflex, Androcur and Vaniqa cream) might slightly reduce the pigment in hair roots and make laser treatment less efficient, but this seldom interferes with the effectiveness of laser treatment. CoolGlide™ laser hair removal can certainly be done WHILE you are on those medicines, if you wish. These "anti-androgenic" medicines produce gradual but temporary effects, and will not remove unwanted hair from areas that are independent of androgen regulation.

Pre-treatment with medicines like Zovirax, Valtrex or Famvir is NOT necessary, unless you tend to get a lot of cold sores in the area to be treated.

Other than your regular skin care routine, there is no standard "prep" for this procedure. Please do not wear makeup on the areas to be treated, because some kinds of makeup can absorb and waste laser energy, or even heat up to the point where your skin would be irritated. Makeup will need to be removed before treatment, and may be re-applied immediately after treatment if you wish, in a room we have set aside for this purpose. There are no restrictions on what you may eat or drink prior to your appointment.

Please shave or clip the areas to be treated before you come in for treatment. Freshly shaved skin is more sensitive, and there is less discomfort if you wait at least an hour between shaving and having laser treatment. Shaving also allows you to shape the exact area you want treated -- this is sometimes very useful in the bikini area. Excess hair above the surface of the skin absorbs and wastes laser energy, and reduces the amount of energy that reaches the hair root, where it is really needed. Excess hair above the surface of the skin also increases the chance of burning or irritating the skin.

After all of your last minute questions have been answered and paperwork handled, the areas you wish to have treated will be cleansed and pre-treatment photos may be taken.

The length of the procedure itself can range from a few minutes for the upper lip to an hour or more (for example, a man’s chest and back). You may save considerable time, as you reduce or eliminate the need for shaving and other hair removal methods.

If you decide before coming in that you would like to have additional areas treated, please call ahead so that we can schedule enough time to accommodate your needs.

Cooling pads are applied to the skin for a few moments before the area is treated. Immediately before the laser is used on an area, the cooling pad is removed and a thin coat of clear gel is lightly smoothed over the skin, then the laser pulses are quickly and evenly applied by our carefully trained and supervised staff.

You can bring a friend or family member if you like -- quite often mothers and daughters will come in together for laser treatment.

The laser emits only light. You may feel a tingling or snapping sensation like a rubber band. There is no bleeding and no open wound is created. Some people find the FIRST laser treatment more uncomfortable than subsequent treatments. Maybe this is because there are more hair roots which are destroyed during the first treatment; and perhaps also because some people are more apprehensive during the first treatment, because they are not sure of what to expect.

Many patients find that they have less discomfort if they shave the area to be treated at least a couple of hours BEFORE coming in for treatment, because freshly shaved skin is often somewhat more sensitive. Shaving before coming in for treatment also allows you to shape the area to be treated exactly the way YOU want it. This is of particular importance in areas like the forehead, sideburns and bikini/pubic hair areas.

While some areas of the body like the upper lip and pubic hair area are more sensitive than others, many patients report little or no discomfort. If there is unusual discomfort, please let us know so that we can apply more cooling or adjust the settings on the laser.

People who have had waxing, sugaring, and/or electrolysis (or treatment with other lasers) usually report that CoolGlide™ causes less discomfort, and sometimes there is almost no discomfort.

Another possible explanation for reduced discomfort with the CoolGlide™ compared with other lasers is that the long wavelength of the CoolGlide™ delivers more energy into the deeper part of the skin where the hair roots are -- and wastes less energy in the top 2 millimeters of the skin where many of the nerve endings are.

Cooling gel pads are usually applied immediately before and after treatment, and soothing gel is used during the procedure. In addition, the CoolGlide™ laser has the ability to reduce the frequency of pulses and increase the cooling time in sensitive areas, to maximize your comfort.

EMLA™ anesthetic cream is occasionally used in very sensitive areas or by those who think they have a very low pain threshold. EMLA™ can be purchased without a prescription, and a very thick layer should be applied an hour before the procedure. Most people do best with cooling gel packs and Aloe, and do not bother with EMLA anesthetic cream.

Some people find it helpful to simply take two or three plain Tylenol and/or Advil a couple of hours before coming in for treatment. Some women who find that they are less sensitive after their menses prefer to schedule their treatment sessions to avoid the premenstrual and menstrual time.

Redness often has faded greatly by the time you get home. It would not be uncommon for the skin to be slightly drier that evening and to require more of your favorite moisturizer. The hair follicles may appear slightly more obvious or a bit pink for the next day or two, but this is seldom a cosmetic problem, and generally much less obvious than after waxing or sugaring.

Lasers destroy hair roots which are active at the time of treatment, but do not remove hair shafts instantly. Hair shafts in the treated hair follicles will fall out, or be "shed" mostly in the first week after treatment, with all of the treated hairs falling out within 2-3 weeks.

It is normal that some hairs in the treated area may not fall out within 2-3 weeks. These will be treated in the next session.

These hairs which are being shed will come out on their own. It is best not to shave the treated area or to wash it with anything but mild soap and your bare hand (no Buf-Pufs, washcloths or Body Washes) for 3-4 days after laser treatment, because some people find that their skin is irritated by these things.

Since the laser does not burn or cut the skin in any way, no bandages are necessary. You can return to work the same day and resume all your regular activities. To reduce the chance of uneven tanning in the treated areas, you should minimize sun exposure and tanning for a week or two after treatment.

It is OK to resume shaving or clipping hair in the treated area after 3-4 days. You should NOT have waxing / sugaring / plucking or electrolysis, because these things will temporarily remove pigmented hairs from the hair roots and reduce the effectiveness of your next laser treatment. Sometimes after plucking, waxing or sugaring the hair will become thicker and darker, because one of the ways that the body defends itself from chronic irritation is to produce thicker, darker hairs.

Shaving really is the BEST temporary way to remove unwanted hair before laser treatment, and between laser treatments. Shaving leaves the hair SHAFT in the hair follicle, so the hair shaft can be a target for laser energy, heat up and KILL the hair follicle.

You can shave as often as you want. It has been shown in scientific studies that:
Shaving does NOT make hair grow faster.
Shaving does NOT make hair grow thicker.
Shaving does NOT make hair grow darker.
Shaving does NOT make hair grow more profusely.

1 - Please do not do any waxing, plucking or sugaring for 6 weeks before treatment, because hair follicles which do not have hair shafts in them to absorb laser energy will not be killed by the laser energy.
2 - Please try to minimize tanning for a week or two before treatment: a fresh tan can interfere a bit with the effectiveness of the CoolGlide Laser treatment, though this is less of a problem than with older, short wavelength lasers.
3 - Please do not wear makeup on the areas to be treated, or at least wear makeup that is easy to remove. If makeup absorbs laser energy, less energy will reach your hair follicles and hair shafts, and if the makeup heats up it could irritate or burn your skin. Makeup can be re-applied immediately after Altus CoolGlide™ laser treatment, if you wish.
4 - Please shave or clip the areas to be treated the day before treatment or on the morning of treatment. This way, the skin will be less sensitive. Shaving before you come in also allows you to shape the exact area you want treated -- this is sometimes very useful in areas like the hairline and sideburns, and in the bikini area. Excess hair above the surface of the skin absorbs and wastes laser energy, and reduces the amount of energy that reaches the hair root, where it is really needed. Excess hair above the surface of the skin also increases the chance of burning or irritating the skin.
5 - Some people find it helpful to simply take two or three plain Tylenol and/or Advil 2 hours before coming in for treatment. Some women who find that they are less sensitive after their menses prefer to schedule their treatment sessions to avoid the premenstrual and menstrual time.

During the treatment, remember that: “We want to be doing this FOR you, not doing it TO you.” Unexpected discomfort is Nature’s way of telling us something is wrong, so please tell us and we will go slower, apply more cooling, or adjust the power of the laser for you.

1 - Redness often has faded greatly by the time you get home. It would not be uncommon for the skin to be slightly drier that evening and to require more of your favorite moisturizer.The hair follicles may appear slightly more obvious or a bit pink for the next day or two, but this is seldom a cosmetic problem, and generally much less obvious than after waxing or sugaring.
2 - Try to avoid tanning for a week or two after treatment, because occasionally the tan could be somewhat irregular (lighter and/or darker in the treated areas.)