Disclaimer   Our Facilities   Our Medical Doctors   Make an Appointment   How to Find Us   Contact Us   Links   FAQ's

Risks of Laser Hair Removal 2007-12-11 Dear Dr. Proskiw; I am interested in having hair removal by laser, but my mother tells me that the procedure is ineffective and that lasers are very risky. She is afraid that I will be exposing my body to unnecessary radiation. I am 24 years old, of East Indian descent and work at the front desk in a professional office. Answer: Your questions and concerns are issues that I deal with every day. Lasers do not emit ionic radiation like x-rays and therefore do not pose a radiation risk. And although there are some limitations and considerations that you need to be aware of before you commit to laser treatments, laser hair removal now offers a permanent solution for hair removal. Question: What are some questions I should ask before I commit to having laser hair removal? Answer: Please ask the following questions: 1. Who performs the laser procedure and what are their qualifications and/or training? 2. Is a physician in charge of the procedure and available to answer questions or deal with complications? The College of Physicians & Surgeons of B.C. requires all lasers to be registered and have a physician present on site during all laser procedures. I am surprised at how many laser clinics do not have a physician at their clinic when laser procedures are being performed. Class 4 lasers are medical surgical devices that require medical supervision to be operated. 3. What type of laser is being used for hair removal? Hair removal lasers have been used for the past 7 years successfully. They have been refined and evolved to provide greater patient comfort, safety, and speed. The Alexandrite laser is still the gold standard for hair removal of most hair and skin types. The Diode laser is a close second with the YAG laser being a distant third. Intense Pulsed Light devices are not lasers and only offer about 30-35% permanent hair removal, and I see many patients who have had very disappointing results with this method of hair removal. YAG lasers only provide 50% permanent hair removal in comparison to the Alexandrite laser and the 810nm Diode laser, which both provide 80-85% permanent hair removal. 4. What type of post-treatment care is required after laser hair removal? 5. Who do I contact if I have any questions or problems after the laser procedure? Is there a doctor I can contact if I have any problems? Question: What are some complications of laser hair removal? Answer: Lasers can cause burns to the skin if the person has a tan or has pigmented skin. Lasers today offer cooling to the skin and variable settings to accommodate darker skin types, but tanned skin is especially prone to burning and I do not recommend laser hair removal to tanned individuals. Burned skin can result in hypo pigmented (lightened) skin coloring after it heals and can be very difficult to reverse. Hyper pigmentation (darkening) can also be seen in Asian and East Indian individuals if the laser settings are too aggressive. Infections are very rare and are unusual unless the skin is not cleansed properly or completely prior to treatment. Thank you for your questions and remember to seek professional advice and treatments for optimal results.

Our aesthetic and skin treatment clinic is located in Aesthetic Solutions Kelowna, BC 1-866-861-3070 or (250) 868-3070 Suite 200 Richter Place, 1626 Richter Street, Kelowna, B.C. V1Y 2M3 Aesthetic Solutions Penticton, BC 1-888-490-8590 or (250) 490-8590 140-1636 Main Street, Penticton, B.C. V2A 5G8 Aesthetic Solutions Red Deer, AB 1-403-346-3376 Suite 430, 3020-22nd Street, Red Deer, AB T4R 3J5