You are here: Home > Procedures & Treatments > Laser Hair Removal

Laser Hair Removal

Lasers now play a central role in hair removal with superb results. We were the first clinic in Canada to provide laser hair removal, and we have treated thousands of patients since 1996 with a tremendous background of experience with regard to safety. We offer four different laser devices for laser hair removal, summarized below.

Each laser offers certain advantages for treating different skin & hair types:

The Lightsheer Diode

The LightSheer diode laser is an advanced new technology designed to comfortably, quickly and affordably remove unwanted hair.  Through the use of a gentle laser pulse that delivers a beam of high-energy to the hair follicle, the follicle is either destroyed or damaged sufficiently through absorption of that energy to prevent re-growth.

In addition, the LightSheer system has advantages over other hair removal lasers because of its profile for safety and efficacy. The laser can treat a wide range of skin complexions from fair complected to those who are more darkly pigmented. This is not possible with many other hair removal lasers.

About the ChillTip

The advanced ChillTip hand piece is an important part of the LightSheer system. It makes treatments more comfortable, faster and more efficient.  As the name implies, the ChillTip cools the skin in the region being treated.  This counteracts the inherent heat of the laser pulse, yielding dramatically improved comfort during treatment.

Additionally, the ChillTip hand piece gently compresses the skin in the treatment area, moving vessels and skin out of the way.  This improves efficiency by ensuring the laser gets as close as possible to the follicle, thereby maximizing effectiveness.

CoolGlide Laser

The CoolGlide laser is both an Nd-Yag long pulsed laser and an intense pulsed light device. It uses xenon flashlamps to generate multi-wavelength light for hair removal and other applications. By using special cutoff filters, various wavelengths of light can be selected and these wavelengths can be applied in multiple pulse trains with variable delays chosen for different skin types and hair characteristics. This device is probably the most versatile of all hair removal lasers, but it is also one of the slowest for large area applications.

SoftLight Laser

The SoftLight laser is a Q-Switched Nd-Yag with a wavelength of 1064 nm. It is the safest laser used to perform laser hair removal on dark skinned patients, and it was the first laser approved by the FDA for laser hair removal. In the SoftLight hair removal process, a fine carbon lotion is applied to the skin to penetrate into the follicle and conduct absorbed laser energy to the follicular structures. The growing capacity of the hair is slowed by disabling follicles that are in a growth phase at the time of treatment. This is the only laser hair removal process which will turn most of the treated hairs blonde while rejuvenating the skin, leaving it smoother with each successive treatment.

Pre-treatment preparation:

1. Patients who are tanned should wait for their tan to fade for best results, although tanned patients can be treated with the SoftLight system.

2. Patients on Accutane should be off Accutane for one month prior to treatment. Stop any medications with sun protection warnings a few days before treatment. Topical retinols should be stopped a day before treatment.

3. The hair should not be plucked or waxed before treatment as this removes the hair shaft from the follicle and reduces some of the melanin which the laser hair removal process would like to target. Shave or clip your hair short within 24 hours of your appointment.

Side Effects of Laser Hair Removal

Redness and swelling are common following laser hair removal, especially at higher energies, and resolve in minutes to hours. Occasionally superficial blistering can occur, and these patients can experience transient pigmentary changes such as lightening or darkening of the skin, which may last weeks or rarely longer. The risk of infection or scarring is extremely low. During the weeks after treatment, damaged hair follicles are extruded and shed, which is sometimes misinterpreted as early regrowth.

Is Laser Hair Removal Permanent?

Hair is natural to your body and it grows in stages. At any given time, not all hairs are growing. Lasers are most effective at targeting growing hairs. In practice, no laser destroys all of the hair follicles. Some follicles are destroyed, while others are miniaturized into fine hairs, and others are shocked into prolonged dormancy. Multiple treatment are needed for best results, and the best interval for re-treatment depends on the hair cycle growth patterns in that area of the body. It is possible that with a sufficient number of treatments, true "permanent hair removal" can ultimately be achieved, but not for every single hair present in a given area. Be advised that the FDA cleared these lasers for "permanent hair reduction," and not "permanent hair removal," which is advertised by many clinics.

Many clinics that have advertised "guaranteed permanent hair removal" have gone out of business, or change their corporate names when they become unable to honor their guarantees of "permanent hair removal." Many of these "guarantees" are simply assurances that you hair will be finer for a short period of time. Age, ethnicity, weight, metabolism, medication, and hormones all play a role in the location, resilience, and thickness of hair. It is difficult, if not impossible, to predict how many treatments each individual will require to achieve the best long term benefits. Experience to date with laser hair reduction suggests that the hair reduction achieved may be permanent, but an honest, reputable physician cannot guarantee this fact.