Say Goodbye to Unwanted Hair

Hair is great when it’s on your head. However, in other areas, it can be a pain to eliminate. Whether you’re a man with excess body hair or a woman who just hates shaving, there’s a hair removal option out for you. Laser hair removal is a safe and permanent way to get rid of unwanted hair.

At Sterling Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, PC, our team specializes in many treatments to keep you looking and feeling your best. Leading our team is our expert plastic surgeon, Dr. Mark Mathieson, an expert in laser hair removal technology.

How laser hair removal works

Each strand of hair has two parts — the follicle and the shaft. The shaft is the part of the hair above your skin and is the part you can see. Your hair follicle is the part of your hair that extends down through your epidermis into your dermis.

The hair follicle contains the part of your hair that’s alive, known as the bulb. That is where your hair cells divide frequently, allowing the growth of your hair all over your body. That is why shaving or waxing only produces temporary results.

Laser hair removal works by using a light that’s absorbed by the hair’s pigment. Once the light is absorbed, it turns into heat and damages the hair follicle. That also damages the bulb, which is the part that contains the living cells needed for your hair to grow. 

When the laser is used in an area such as your bikini line, it damages just about all of the hair follicles in that area, meaning you won’t have to shave again for quite some time. However, hair has different growth cycles, so it may take several treatments to get the desired result.

The benefits of laser hair removal

While it may seem scary to think of a laser pulsing over your skin, laser hair removal is actually a very safe procedure. It doesn’t require any preparation, and you can go home the same day. 

Laser hair removal is also very versatile. It can be used on many places on your body, including:

• Underarms
• Back
• Legs
• Arms
• Chest
• Face

There are several other added benefits to this type of treatment. First, the procedure for laser hair removal is relatively quick. Every pass of the laser only takes a fraction of a second and targets multiple hair follicles at once. That means the length of the procedure depends on the size of the area being treated.

The lasers used in this type of treatment are also very precise. They’re able to target areas of dark or thick hair without hurting the skin around the site. While you may have slight redness in the treatment area, your skin is undamaged.

With laser hair removal, you’ll see results in as little as three treatment sessions.

How long does it last?

Laser hair removal lasts anywhere from a few months to several years. The amount of time you remain hair-free is dependent on many factors, including the area in which you had the hair removal done. However, the lasers don’t completely eliminate the follicle, so there’s a chance that your hair could eventually grow back.

The good news: if it does grow back, your hair is often much less noticeable and lighter in color. To get permanent results, you need to come back for maintenance sessions over time.

If you’re ready to eliminate unwanted hair on your body, don’t hesitate to call our office in Sarasota, Florida, by calling 941-208-6696 to book a consultation. You can also schedule an appointment online using our convenient booking tool.