During laser hair removal, a laser emits a light that is absorbed by the pigment (melanin) in the hair follicle which causes it to heat and destroy or inhibit the growth of the hair follicle. The treatment works best for those with lighter skin who have dark hair.  

What is a Laser Hair Removal Treatment Like? 

Patients are typically asked to shave prior to their treatment and to avoid waxing or tweezing in the area they plan to treat. At the laser hair removal appointment, the skin may be marked with a washable ink to help mark the area to ensure proper coverage of the laser as it passes each part of the area you are treating. The laser will be set to the proper level of energy based on your skin tone, your sun exposure, and previous treatments to ensure your safety as well as ensuring the effectiveness of the treatment. The laser will emit a light and a sound as it passes over the skin where the hair follicles are being treated. After the treatment, the ink that was used is wiped off and cooling aloe may be applied to help with any redness. 

How Painful is Laser Hair Removal? 

Laser hair removal is less painful than waxing or tweezing. Some patients describe it as a hot rubber band that snaps at the skin for a brief second then the pain goes away and is usually minimal. As one progresses in their treatments, the minimal pain felt tends to lessen as the hair follicles are damaged and hair that grows back in a treated area usually grows back less coarse. 

What Should I Expect After My First Laser Hair Removal Treatment? 

Most people experience redness that lasts for a few hours post treatment which can help be relieved with cooling aloe gel. The hair follicles that were treated will typically rise to the surface of the skin and fall out within 2-3 weeks and your skin will feel baby smooth until hair regrowth starts again. When the hair follicles that are left regrow, they come back much finer than before. 

How Permanent is Laser Hair Removal? 

While laser hair removal doesn’t get rid of hair forever (only electrolysis is FDA-approved for permanent hair removal), it does drastically reduce hair growth—to the point that you can stop shaving altogether. You can get it done anywhere on the body, and the machine can cover large places fast. 

How Many Treatments Will I Need? 

The number of treatments differ from person to person based on how coarse and dark the hair is in the area needing treatment. Typically, most people benefit from 6 to 8 treatments in any given area, but some may need more depending on how stubborn the hair growth may be. 

What To Do After Laser Hair Removal: 

• Wear loose cotton clothing. 
• Avoid touching the skin in the treatment area. 
• Apply 100% Aloe Vera ONLY to your treatment area. 
• Avoid the gym, steam room, sauna, Jacuzzi, swimming pool. 
• When showering/bathing keep water tepid/lukewarm. 
• Avoid doing all forms of physical exercise. 

What Are the Benefits of Laser Hair Removal? 

There are so many benefits to laser hair removal making it a very popular procedure in the med spa world.  Below are the top 10 benefits of laser hair removal: 

1. Speedy Treatment: Laser hair removal is a generally a quick procedure. Each laser pulse generally only takes ¼ of a second and treats hair in around the same amount of time. The laser can treat an area the size of a quarter in 1 second.  

1. Predictable: Not only does laser hair removal get rid of hair for longer periods of time compared to other treatments, but the treatment is also perfect for drastically reducing the growth of hair to the point where shaving can be stopped altogether.  

1. Remove Hair from Anywhere: The great thing about laser hair removal is that the laser is small and can travel all over one’s body to treat hair growth in areas that are more difficult to get to. The discomfort felt is also much less than the discomfort some experience from waxing.  Discomfort diminishes as the area is treated over time and the hair growth comes back finer and sparser. 

1. Safe and Effective: The laser is designed to specifically target hair follicles and lasers have been in use for many years making this treatment both safe and effective when following best practices. If patients follow the instructions given to them by their aesthetician, then the risk of any side effects (change in pigmentation or burns) will be highly diminished. 

1. Save Time and Money: Rather than shelling out money on razors, shaving cream, waxes, bleaches, painful tweezing, threading, etc., one should consider the time and money saved by laser hair removal. Eventually, after multiple laser hair removal treatments, shaving will be a thing of the past and you will not have to worry about last minute touch ups before going to the beach or pool. 

1. Avoid Ingrown Hair: Many patients say the best thing they love about laser hair removal is that they no longer experience having ingrown hairs. The stubble and razor burn experience that some have can be unsightly as well as the irritation one experiences from an ingrown hair can be annoying. With laser hair removal, the chances of this occurring decrease even more with each treatment. 

1. Waiting for Hair Regrowth: One does not have to wait for hair regrowth when it comes to laser hair removal unlike waxing or shaving. With waxing, you must wait for the hair to regrow for the wax to be able to grab onto it. This can be embarrassing if it is in an area such as your lip or chin that you do not want other people to notice. 

1. Convenience: Laser hair removal does not leave any sticky residue and can be accomplished in a quick amount of time leaving it to be a convenient “lunch hour” procedure. 

1. Smooth and Silken Skin: No more stubble or bumps! The laser helps to diminish hair regrowth and any hair regrowth that occurs will be softened due to the damage that the hair follicle receives. This allows for much smoother skin and less of a chance of getting those painful ingrown hairs. 

1. Long Lasting Results: Laser hair removal can create long lasting results that patients will benefit from for years. Some patients are in awe over how smooth their legs are or how they rarely need to shave again after laser hair removal. Others are even more impressed that they no longer experience a 5 o’clock shadow in their underarm area. 

Additional Services Offered by Victory Medical

Did You Know… Victory Medical is a one stop shop. We offer additional services for your convenience so you can tackle all of your health needs in one spot.

Victory Medical Offers:

• Primary Care: annual physicals, blood work, medication management, EKG, Vaccines, X-rays, Blood work
• Heartwise Physical: a comprehensive, preventative, non-invasive, head-to-toe evaluation, that includes 26 tests and takes about 90 minutes to complete.
• Pharmacy: receive prescriptions through the convenience of our pharmacy. We also offer compounded prescriptions custom measured and compounded specifically for you.
• Urgent Care: Get help whenever you may need it with our Urgent Care clinics that have extended hours.
• Natural Hormone Replacement: Want to rejoin the human race and experience renewed energy, a fulfilling sex life, and happiness again? Don’t let the effects of aging drag you down.
• MedSpa: Look and feel beautiful at our MedSpa where you will receive quality treatments and products as well as beauty consultations
• Coolsculpting: The CoolSculpting fat-freezing procedure is the only FDA-cleared, non-surgical fat-reduction treatment that uses controlled cooling to eliminate stubborn fat that resists all efforts through diet and exercise.
• Ketamine Therapy: Ketamine is rapid acting, has a short duration of action, and has been known to drastically help those affected by Chronic Depression, Bipolar Disorder, and PTSD.
• Allergy: Allergy testing can improve your quality of life and shed light on the cause or trigger of your bothersome symptoms. 
• Physical Therapy: Victory Medical provides state-of-the-art physical therapy and rehabilitation for pain management, neurological ailments, and the treatment of musculoskeletal injuries including sprains, strains, fractures, dislocations, and post-surgical needs.
• Chiropractic Therapy: Manage pain, heal faster, reduce stress, enjoy life
• Weight Loss: Medical weight loss is an effective option for individuals who haven’t had success with other methods, and for people who need their health and safety monitored every step of the way.

Ask a staff member for more information about any of our services or schedule an appointment by calling 512-462-DOCS (3627)