As I said before, I had my first laser hair removal appointment, and I would like to talk about what my particular experience was like. Please note that there may be some variance, so they may not always be in this order, and the equipment being used will most certainly differ widely, as well. I will say that the machine that was used is a multi-purpose state-of-the-art five-hundred-pound machine with a hand piece attached to a light guide that come in several sizes. It uses a broadband configuration that configurable via the system, and comes with several safety features. This machine was made in Israel by a company named Lumenis Aesthetics. The purpose of laser hair removal is to use light amplification by stimulating and emitting radiation to focus the beams of light into as small an area as possible, hence why it’s called concentrated energy. Once the button is pressed, a complicated sequence of nuclear fusion takes place via a number of mirrors and reflectors where the thermal energy is directed into the desired area covered with gel. This particular machine discharged three distinct flashes at a rate of forty-fifty-two point five hertz, which, for hearing aid users, can be heard as a pitch. It is also due to the light bouncing inside as it heats the air, much like how the sound of thunder is produced. These frequencies in hertz are dependent on how long the pulse is and how wide the delay or gap between each pulse is, as well. The reason people with hearing aids would hear these clicks is because an RF disturbance is evoked in the electromagnetic spectrum, and the telecoil simply picks them up, similar to how a guitar pickup works. This is why it can be a good thing for people to perceive things no one else can. Electronic sweepers or bug detectors use this same technology, and if you are a ham operator, you would’ve most likely had experience in dealing with this type of interference. So, a good way to tell if the laser is working is by the feel and sound of the rapid expanse and collapse of the air in and around it.
I am getting off-topic, so I’ll get back to how this particular laser worked. The light being used was a dark red frequency, about six hundred ninety-five to a thousand nanometres (4.2-4.5 THz), depending on the type of hair and skin being treated, and each pulse had a duration of 2.8 milliseconds long, with a delay or gap between each pulse about 20 milliseconds long. These numbers could be adjusted to meet treatment requirements. Most laser machines make an audible noise, which is probably caused by the fan inside to keep it cool. There are also other noises, such as the three clicks that the light creates when it causes the air inside to be expanded, like it does in a lightning storm. The other kind of noise you would hear is when the machine makes an audible beep, telling you that it is okay to fire another charge. You see, one of the safety features is that once the button is pressed, you have to allow up to two or three seconds before you can continue. It will not let you go any quicker than that. To prevent accidental firing, you have to let the machine know you are ready to start treatment via the graphical user interface.
The purpose of laser hair removal is to heat up and kill as many hair roots and cells that make up the hair as possible, without burning the skin at the same time. This is, after all, a very tricky thing to do… sometimes. Most laser systems work best with light skin, fair complexion and dark coarse hair, but newer systems are beginning to be use on darker skin types. Sometimes a melanim inhibitor may be needed to control the production of skin and hair cells, and some amount of genetics is involved. Also, people with lowered androgen levels, such as in transgender female patients, could have their skin lasered, and the chances of the hair growing back would be substantially reduced. Many inexperienced laser operators use hormone change as an excuse when they say that the hair is coming back. Of course, an experienced operator would say that if the treatments were done properly, things like that should not be used as an excuse. People who undergo laser treatments should also think about their growth phase. That’s why it is important to get treatments done when the growth phases are synchronised, which would make it a lot more effective. Some laser systems utilise a vacuum and cooling plates to better take the edge off the pain.
Hair does not fall out immediately once it is treated; it usually takes a few weeks before anything is noticeable. There is, however, an interesting observation I made. Since laser is heating up the hair similar to thermolysis, it burns the hairs on or under the skin, leaving behind a burnt hair smell that reminds some people of burnt popcorn. To me it smells like gunpowder. What lasering feels like depends on your temperature and pain sensitivity threshold, and how close the hair was shaved. You see, the longer in length you leave the hair, the more you are going to feel the pulse than if it were closer or all the way down to the skin. A patch of refrigerated ultrasound gel is applied on the skin to numb it a little, and then the guide is dipped into the layer of gel. Sometimes, the operator will ask you if you are wearing anything that could prevent the light from entering the desired area, such as sun block or other skin products. If this is the case, a skin cleanser may be needed. To anticipate the possiblity of pain, the operator may count to three, and then they will press the button on the handpiece, and you will see a white flash of bright light on the side of your tanning bed goggles, and you might feel three quick bursts of heat before it’s gone instantly. Note that although this is technically three quick flashes, to us it appears as one because the flashes are so quick in succession. Some operators will also ask you to shave the hair right before you come to your appointment, but just in case you forget, they do keep an assortment of clippers, trimmers and razors handy. For a test treatment, operators will look for any side effects and reactions by raising the energy a little higher than what you would normally get when you do the actual treatment. One thing to note: It is advised that you shave with a razor that doesn’t shave too close to the skin, because this would expose several nerve endings, thereby making your treatment more intolerable. If you must, try to shave a few hours before, or use a trimmer.
Since there is hardly any regulation in the United States and in the world as to who should operate a laser machine, it is up to the consumer to take on the riskss. Since I enjoy researching, I would ask complex questions that only an experienced operator would be able to answer. If it were an amateur operator who just did the job, then I would know right away if they could be trusted. Laser hair removal, which is similar to intense pulse light, rejuvenates the skin, along with the consumption of oestrogen for transgender people. However, the secret to getting rid of rough skin is to know your skin type and colour. Using the right cleanser to remove dead skin cells is very important. In future posts, I will talk about the benefits and drawbacks of using at-home laser treatments or laser pointers versus having it done professionally. For more information about laser hair removal in general, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_hair_removal After the treatment, the operator will give you a bag full of cold ice cubes that you should use in case your skin feels hot afterword. If you ignore this, your skin could swell and break out, so this is something that needs to be avoided. In the future, the operator will increase the fluence of the laser output, sort of like when you increase the amount of weight you lift on a weight machine. They may also decrease the delay to make it feel more comfortable.
Next time I blog I’ll cover some of the following. How ketogenic dieting can kill cancer, how consuming the right nutrients can kill cavities in the teeth, and more research on epigenetics. I might cover how our fear level works, and how we challenge ourselves in life to overcome fears that we have, such as going on a challenge course or going sky-diving, and how that can be compared to every-day activities.