The main target of laser hair removal treatment is the melanin, or colored pigment, in the hair shaft. This is the substance in the hair shaft that will actually absorb and be affected by the laser light. Because melanin is the pigment which darkens hair, lightly colored hair, such as blonde or gray hair, will not respond as well as black hair. Because of the higher concentration of melanin in the hair shaft, thick dark hairs will respond the best to laser light treatment. Another important factor to weigh when considering laser hair removal treatment is skin color. Darker toned skin does not respond as well as light colored skin, which will generally require fewer treatments. Even multiple treatments for those patients with darker skin may not be able to receive enough benefit to achieve permanent hair removal.

There are preparations a patient can make prior to laser hair removal treatments which can make the treatments as effective as possible. The skin must be prepared for the treatment by being shaved of hair growth. Although the area to be treated should be shaved, the hair should not be plucked or waxed. This type of preparation removes the hair shaft entirely and makes the laser hair removal ineffective. Patients should also avoid tanning lotions and tanning salons, with the consideration lighter skin is more effectively treated with the hair removal laser. The patients who tend to respond best to laser hair removal treatment are those with lighter skin and darker hair.

Benefits of the StarLux Fractional Laser

With the Starlux laser, treatments to resurface the skin do not require the application of dye that can be hard to remove. Instead, an anesthetic cream is used and the micro-beams protect the skin from overheating, which is a common problem with other methods, and provides built-in cooling. As a result, patients only feel minor discomfort during the session, and the tone and texture of the skin are noticeably improved. The process is also both quick and convenient, lasting about 30 minutes, while ablative treatments require a lengthy preparation and clean-up afterward.

How the treatment process works

At each session, the skin is stimulated to produce collagen molecules and 20-25% of the target area is treated. To achieve optimum results, 3-6 sessions may be required, scheduled every three to six weeks. While the Starlux® Fractional Laser can be used anywhere on the body, it is most often used to treat the skin on the face, neck, chest, back of the arms, abdomen, and back. It was specifically developed to treat acne scars, remove sun spots, decrease the signs of aging, remove wrinkles and pigmented spots, and diminish stretch marks.

Immediately after your treatment, you might experience some lingering warmth, swelling, tightness, or redness in the affected area, but this should fade in a few hours. Usually, a patient can have a treatment and then return to work or some other activity immediately because much of the skin is unaffected by the procedure.

Advantage of using the Starlux® Fractional Laser

Since it is non-ablative, there are minimal side effects and recovery is also quicker. It is just as effective as an ablative laser, and the risk of complications is much lower.