Laser Hair Removal with the Altus Coolglide
Unwanted hair is a common problem affecting both men and women. Conventional hair removal techniques such as waxing, threading, bleaches and depilatory creams offer only a temporary solution for unwanted hair. Laser hair removal treatment can be used to permanently treat and remove unwanted hair from the body.
Laser hair removal uses light energy from a laser to remove unwanted body hair by heating the hair follicle and damaging it to prevent hair regrowth. It is a very popular non-surgical cosmetic procedure. According to FDA, permanent hair reduction is defined as long term, stable reduction in the number of hairs regrowing after a treatment regime.
Hair growth occurs in 3 stages:
- Anagen: hair is actively growing
- Catagen: hair growth stops and the follicle shrinks
- Telogen: hair growth resumes forcing “old” hair out of the follicle to make room for the new hair.
Hair will respond more effectively to laser treatment in the anagen stage. Therefore it is necessary to treat an area at least 3 times with the treatments spaced approximately 6 weeks apart.
Altus coolglide laser system has been approved for use in people with different skin complexions ranging from whitest white to darkest dark. It is one of the laser hair removal systems approved by FDA for permanent hair reduction. It was specifically designed to eliminate undesired hair from all parts of the body, including face, legs, arms, underarms and back. People with dark hair and light skin respond best and people with white, blond, or gray hair do not respond at all. This is because the laser beam targets the pigment or melanin in the hair.
Procedure
The procedure may take several minutes to several hours depending on the size of the area being treated. The area to be treated is cleaned, shaved, and anaesthetic cream is applied to lessen discomfort. This technique uses a low energy laser. The laser produces pulsed beams of highly concentrated light which pass through the skin and is absorbed by the pigment in the hair follicle. This disables the hair follicle in the deeper layer of the skin.
Indications
Altus coolglide is indicated in various conditions including hirsutism, hypertrichosis, acne keloidalis nuchae, pilonidal sinus or cyst, and pseudofolliculitis barbae.
Contraindications
Altus coolglide is contraindicated in conditions of pregnancy, epilepsy and herpes simplex viral infections. It is not recommended for use in patients with diabetes and on areas of sunburned skin.
Complications
Treatment with Altus coolglide is associated with certain complications such as hypo- or hyper- pigmentation (skin color changes), skin irritation, infection, and scarring at the treatment site. There is no guarantee that the hair follicle will respond to the laser treatment and multiple sessions may be required to achieve optimum results.
Side effects
Following the treatment some patients may experience side effects such as redness, itching, scarring, inflammation, and appearance of blisters, burning or prickling sensation at the site of treatment. If these effects are severe, consult your dermatologist immediately.
Preparation guidelines
- Avoid sunbathing for at least 4 weeks before treatment
- Avoid waxing, plucking ,electrolysis before treatment
- Stop using lotions or sprays 8 to 10 days before treatment
- Wash off all make up prior to treatment
Precautions after treatment
- Avoid using hot tubs and saunas during the healing process.
- Cleanse the treated area gently with mild soap and water and avoid picking or scrubbing at these areas.
- Keep the area cool by applying cool gel packs on the treated areas over a towel.
- Avoid the use of deodorant if the underarm area was treated.
- Avoid direct sun exposure and tanning beds for at least a week.
