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Unwanted hair is a common concern for both men and women. Traditional hair removal methods like shaving, depilatories, plucking, and waxing can be time-consuming, inconvenient, and often painful. Moreover, these methods provide only temporary relief, sometimes lasting just a few hours. Laser or light-based technology offers a permanent solution, ensuring your skin remains smooth and healthy.
According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, laser hair removal ranks as the third most performed non-surgical cosmetic treatment in the United States. Our advanced Icon™ system tackles the root of the problem, providing effective and permanent hair reduction anywhere on your body, including the face, legs, back, underarms, or bikini line.
With quick and easy treatments, you can swiftly return to your everyday activities, enjoying the benefits of smooth, hair-free skin.
To understand how laser hair removal works, it’s helpful to understand how your hair grows. Below is an overview and how this technology is uniquely able to permanently
reduce unwanted hair.
Hair grows from deep within hair follicles embedded in the skin and follows a cyclical growth pattern consisting of three phases:
Anagen Phase: This is the active growth phase, typically lasting several months. It is the most effective phase for hair removal because the hair is fully anchored in the follicle and growing actively.
Catagen Phase: During this brief phase, the hair bulb begins to regress and shrink. This transitional period marks the end of the active growth.
Telogen Phase: This final phase is a resting period that lasts a few months. During the telogen phase, the hair is released from the follicle and eventually sheds. Once shedding is complete, the hair follicle re-enters the anagen phase to restart the growth cycle.
The length of each phase varies between individuals and different types of hair. For instance, the anagen phase of scalp hair can last several years, promoting long hair growth, while the anagen phase for body hair is much shorter, lasting only a few months.
During laser hair removal, the device emits light energy that penetrates the skin and is absorbed by the pigment in the hair follicle and hair shaft. Pigments are the substances responsible for giving skin and hair their color. The absorbed energy damages the hair follicle, impairing its ability to grow hair.
Hair follicles in the anagen, or active growth phase, contain more pigment and therefore absorb more energy. This makes them respond best to treatments. Because hair follicles are not all in the same phase at the same time, multiple treatments are necessary to achieve optimal results. It is crucial to target the hair during the anagen phase to maximize the effectiveness of the laser hair removal process.
We suggest shaving prior to your consultation and minimizing sun exposure if you would like to get started the same day as your consultation. Typically, there is little to no down time after treatments, and the treatment is so quick and easy, patients can come on their lunch breaks.
Before the device is used, a gel is applied to your skin where you will receive treatment. You will also be provided eye shields to protect yourself from the light during treatment.
The treatment will begin with the provider guiding the Icon™ handpiece over the treatment area. You will feel cooling while the handpiece is gliding over the treatment area to provide a comfortable session. You may also feel a slight rubber-band like snapping when the energy is being delivered into your skin and hair follicles. This sensation disappears almost immediately, and treatments take just minutes depending on the size of the area.
After the treatment, the gel will be removed and a cooling gel may be applied to your skin. Bandages and ointments are not necessary after hair removal due to the nature of the treatments being so minimally invasive. For a few days after your treatment, you may feel like you have a mild sunburn but can resume all your normal day to day activities immediately following treatment.
A mild sunburn-like sensation is expected. This usually lasts 2-24 hours but can persist up to 72 hours. Mild swelling and redness may accompany this, but it usually resolves in 2-3 days.
Avoid sun exposure on the treated area and use a sunscreen SPF 45 or greater at all times throughout the course of treatment and for 4-6 weeks after your last treatment.
Appearance of hair growth or stubble will continue for 7-30 days post-treatment. This is not new hair growth, but treated hairs being expelled from the skin.
Our Icon™ technology can remove hair from almost anywhere on the body including faces, backs, chests, arms, underarms, bikini, and legs.
Icon™ can be safely used on all skin types from very light skin to very dark skin. It is most effective on individuals with dark hair. Candidates with very light or gray hair are not ideal. However, we will determine if you are a good candidate for the procedure based on a variety of factors during your consultation.
Hair follicles are continually cycling through three phases: anagen or growth phase,catagen or transitional phase, and telogen or resting phase. Hair is most susceptible to this treatment while in the anagen phase. Because of this timing, it’s not possible for any laser treatment to achieve 100% hair removal, but it is possible to significantly reduce the number of growing hairs by as much as 85%. Multiple treatments can be administered for maximum results.
[Laser/Light-Based] hair removal is permanent. After treatment, the hair follicles within the anagen phase that were damaged are permanently unable to produce new hairs, or can produce only very thin, tiny hairs that are virtually invisible.
Most people feel only a slight momentary “snap” like a rubber band at the treatment site during the procedure.
Since your hair grows in 3 stages, several treatments are needed to affect all of the unwanted hair. The number of treatments can vary between individuals, depending on the amount of hair, the area to be treated, skin color, hair color and hair coarseness. Typically 4 – 6 treatments are needed but this will depend on a number of factors including your type of hair. One of our providers can give you a more specific treatment plan during your consultation.
It depends on which area is being treated. In general, face, underarms, arms, and bikini are about 4-6 weeks apart. Back, chest, and legs are about 8-10 weeks apart.
The device emits powerful light energy that targets and heats hair follicles. After the treatment, the follicles are damaged and permanently unable to produce new hairs, or can produce only very thin, tiny hairs that are virtually invisible.
Yes. In fact, the area needs to be freshly shaved before your treatment session. You may shave the area the day before the treatment or the day of the treatment before coming in for your session. You should not wax or pluck the hairs between treatments.
You can resume regular daily activities immediately following treatment.
Typically, most people experience a mild, sunburn-like sensation, possibly accompanied by some minor redness and/or swelling immediately following the treatment. This usually lasts 2-24 hours. Ask your provider to discuss other possible side effects and the necessary post-treatment care with you.
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