Removal of all types of hair

The 1064nm Nd:Yag laser targets blood. The laser energy heats and destroys the blood supply of the stem cells at the base of the hair follicle, which essentially kills the hair follicle.

Hairs go through different phases of growth and only hairs in the active growth phase have enough blood supply to generate enough heat to kill the stem cells of the hair follicle. The affected hair will then fall out about 2 to 3 weeks after the treatment. Follicles in other phases of the growth cycle will not be affected or killed. Thus, multiple treatments are need to kill the actively growing crops of hairs to result in significant hair reduction. Most people need at least 6 treatments usually scheduled 4 to 8 weeks apart.

Certain areas and certain people may require more treatments. You may shave or cut your hairs between treatments, but you shouldn't pluck or wax between treatments because that seems to damage the hairs and the blood supply, making a poor target for the laser.

Other lasers used for hair removal target the melanin or pigment in the hair. However, for patients of color or with darker skin, those lasers can stimulate the melanin in the skin and cause abnormal skin pigmentation that can be permanent. The Nd:Yag laser is safe for all skin types.

Our Fotona Nd:Yag 1064nm laser also has a computerized scanner.

This allows an area to be scanned quickly, safely, and comfortably. The computer spaces each beam of the laser to ensures a 13% or more overlap so that no follicle is missed and it spaces each beam of the laser so that the risk of overheating an area is minimized. A gel is applied to the skin and cool air is blown on the treatment area during the procedure to further prevent over heating and also make the treatment more comfortable.