What is laser?
Laser (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation) beam is an independent beam of light that has a specific wavelength and goes in the same direction. This light beam is reflected on the skin by various mirror tricks by means of laser devices, and the heat energy released mainly affects the hairs. The melanin (the substance that gives color to the hair and skin) contained in the hairs in the active phase (Anagen phase) is selected by the laser beam, and the hair that absorbs this light acts as a conductor and transmits the light energy, which is converted into heat, to the hair root (selective thermolysis). The aim is to destroy the hairs and the cells that feed them, thus minimizing or completely destroying the hair production.
laser devices
Laser devices vary according to wavelengths. Ruby (694 nm), alexandrite (755 nm), diode (808 nm), NdYag (1064 nm) are lasers used for epilation. Frequently preferred alexandrite and diode lasers. As the wavelength of light decreases, its sensitivity to melanin, which gives hair its color, increases. Therefore, low wavelength lasers give very effective results on black hair. In people with dark skin type, the light of low wavelength lasers is also absorbed by the skin, since the skin structure also contains a high amount of melanin. This absorption can cause overheating of the skin and related skin damage. Since laser devices with high wavelengths have less sensitivity to melanin, they do not cause damage to any skin type, but their effectiveness against hairs is also low. From this point of view, it will be necessary to use a laser that will not harm the skin, while having a sufficient effect on the hair. For this reason, the most preferred and trusted devices are alexandrite and diode lasers. Both types of laser are effective on thick, dark hair. Although the safety range of the diode laser is wider in those with dark skin type, which laser will be applied to which skin type should be determined by an experienced doctor.
laser hair removal treatment
Laser epilation treatment, which is one of the most effective ways to get rid of hair, is faster, painless and satisfactory in terms of application compared to other methods.
body area
Although the duration and interval of laser treatment varies from person to person, it has an average of 4-8 sessions in women and 6-8 sessions in men. Treatment times generally do not exceed the above numbers, except for hormonal problems and genetically over-stimulated hair follicles. Although rare, there are cases where the number of sessions for which the cause cannot be found is very long, and even there is no permanent hair loss. Since the dark and thick hairs on the body are the hairs that will be most affected, the areas that give the best results for the treatment are the bikini area and genital area, armpits, legs, belly, arms… in women. In men, the best results and the most preferred areas are the back, chest, ears, between the eyebrows, under the eyes, nape and neck. Laser can be applied to all body parts except the eye socket. Session intervals in these regions are between 2 and 2.5 months. Between two treatments, the areas remain clean. When the session time comes, most of the hairs come out at once. After starting the treatment, procedures that affect the hair root such as string, tweezers, waxing cannot be applied to the application areas. If necessary, the hairs can be shortened with a razor or scissors. Treatment times are very short, such as 1–1.5 hours for legs, 1 hour for back, 15–30 minutes for bikini, 5 minutes for armpits, 2 minutes between ears and eyebrows. The pain felt during the application can be described as a rubber hitting the skin. There is no pain that is severe enough to interrupt the treatment in any way. The special cooling system in laser devices minimizes the feeling of pain. A temporary redness in the application area and swelling may occur in the hair follicles, which indicates the effectiveness of the laser. The severity of this extremely normal reaction varies from person to person, but the skin returns to its original state within 30-60 minutes. After the treatment, the hairs remaining in the skin will fall out within 10-15 days, being more evident in the first sessions. Even though it is very difficult to shed dark, thick and deep roots (like the bikini area), it should not cause uneasiness.
facial area
In laser epilation, the face area is an area that should be evaluated separately from the body. The decision to start treatment should be made with that in mind. Facial hair is thinner and lighter in color than body hair. Even though they are very dark and thick, they will thin out in a few sessions, so the treatment will be difficult in continued sessions. Since dark and non-thick hairs will not be able to conduct heat well, the hair root will not overheat. This does not cause enough damage to the hair follicles. While some of the very black and thick hairs are finished in a few sessions, some of them are affected by thinning. After this, the treatment will continue until the hair roots give up. This situation lasts at least 10 sessions, the probability of exceeding this number is very high. The session interval varies between 1–1.5 months. As in the body, there may be redness and slight swelling in the hair follicles after the application, but it is temporary. During the treatment, especially the face should be clean, make-up, perfume, cream and similar substances should be cleaned.
Risks and complications of laser hair removal treatment
The lighter the skin color during the laser treatment, the less complications will be. Since the rate of melanin per unit area is higher in dark skin types, most of the applied energy will be absorbed by the melanin substance in the skin. The high heat generated by this energy can cause skin burns. After these burns, color changes in the skin called hyperpigmentation (darkening of the skin color), hypopigmentation (lightening of the skin color) can be observed. Almost all of these are temporary and should be followed up by your doctor. Due to the reasons explained above, applications for darkening the skin such as sunbathing and entering the solarium are not recommended during laser treatment. The lighter the skin, the lower the risk of complications. It should not be forgotten that such color changes that may occur as a result of laser treatment can be treated, but they can also heal on their own.
Situations where laser hair removal cannot be performed
1- Having a history of skin cancer
2- Having skin infection at or near the application area
3- Personal sensitivity to the wavelength of the laser beam
4- Using drugs that increase sensitivity to infrared light (such as Roacuttane)
Except for the above 4 cases, laser light cannot see white, yellow and red (red) colors, so it has no effect on these colored hairs. Therefore, treatment is not recommended for people with hair in these colors. After waiting for a while, laser can be applied to people who have been exposed to long-term solarium and sun rays within 2-3 weeks before the treatment, as a result of the evaluation made by the doctor. Laser therapy can be applied to people who are undergoing hormone therapy at the same time. The effect of laser treatment is weak in people who have hormonal problems but do not receive medical treatment for this.
Laser application has no medical relationship with the development of cancer.
