Laser Hair Removal

 Are you suffering from a condition that causes excess hair growth? Simply desire a fresh, smooth look? In both cases choosing laser hair removal can vastly improve your life. How is that possible?
Just think about how much time you’ve spent shaving, waxing and plucking unwanted hair on your body and face. The average amount for people in the US is 1,286 hours during their lifetime! So that is more than 50 whole days in your life you can do more interesting and valuable things with.

Do you remember all of those times when you’ve felt embarrassed wearing a bathing suit because your legs were full of fuzz? Or perhaps you’ve peeked at the mirror before an important meeting and discovered your nose was overflowing with hair? Or noticed your pubic hair was thick enough to require its own grooming regime?

With precise technology available on the Soprano laser, you can decide exactly where to be smooth and where you can allow natural growth. Back, legs, chest, underarms, face and genitals – almost any area is treatable. Regardless of your skin type, you can enjoy a safe and proven treatment and enjoy permanent reduction or in other words, smooth skin that lasts!

There are several types and brands of lasers used by providers in hair removal clinics. However, only the advanced and clinically proven ones such as the Soprano Titanium laser offer maximum safety and efficacy for all skin types including dark skin. Electing to work with the highest standard of technology is a good sign for a professional and trained practitioner.

Why is that so important? Laser hair removal is a delicate procedure performed on a delicate part of your body (the skin). A practitioner who understands the science behind this technology has better chances at getting you the desired results while avoiding any unnecessary side effects.

You should remember that the normal body hair growth cycle is around 6 weeks. For facial hair it is a bit shorter. Also, it usually takes an average 6-8 sessions total to achieve maximum hair removal results. Therefore, you should confirm the laser clinic’s availability prior to purchasing the treatment package. Having intervals that are at least 8 weeks between sessions (for body) or less than 6 weeks apart might negatively affect your results.

 Many patients of lasers ask why multiple sessions are required. If laser hair removal works, why can the entire treatment not be completed in a single session? To understand this, we must understand how the hair growth cycle works. Hair growth occurs in three cycles, and lasers can only successfully treat hair once it’s in the right cycle for treatment.

The three cycles of hair growth are:

• Anagen: The anagen phase is the first and most visible stage of the hair growth cycle. This is the stage when lasers work best, as the follicle is most exposed because the body hair is above the skin.
• Catagen: The catagen phase is between the growth stage (anagen) and the rest stage (telogen). During this stage, hair will leave the papilla, or the protrusion from your skin where the hair is attached. This is when people typically shed their hair and it comes out during sleep or grooming yourself. Laser treatment typically doesn’t work during this stage, as the hair detaches before the lasers can travel down it to the follicle. This is the shortest stage, lasting just 2-3 days.
• Telogen: The telogen phase is known as the rest phase, when the hair sheds and the follicles become dormant. Unlike the other phases of the hair cycle, the telogen phase can last as long as needed – sometimes it can last just a few days, other times it can last a few years. Lasers cannot affect the follicle at all during this stage.

To successfully treat an entire part of the face or body of all skin types with laser treatments, all of the hair must be treated while it is in the anagen stage. Typically, you can expect anywhere from 10% to 25% of your hair to be in the anagen at any time, which is why patients generally see a 10% to 25% reduction of hair growth after a single session.

This is why laser hair sessions are spaced 2-4 weeks apart, depending on what your doctor thinks you need. This spreads the sessions enough to give your hair enough time to move from one stage to the next to properly get rid of it. As some hair can stay in the telogen stage for months if not years before growing hair again, some patients see slight unexpected hair growth several months after their series of laser sessions.

Laser hair removal can be a huge relief to anyone who has struggled with their unwanted body and facial hair for years. With a few laser hair removal sessions, you can say goodbye to shaving, waxing, threading, and all the pain and hassle that come with these other hair removal methods.

But exactly how many sessions of laser hair removal do you need for permanent results? The exact number of laser hair removal treatments a patient needs depends on a case-by-case basis – factoring in the size of the area being treated and the density of the treated hair – but patients can generally expect 4-6 sessions for best immediate results.

 For permanent results, you will then need maintenance treatments once or twice a year after. 

Laser removal is often touted as a permanent hair solution, so why are maintenance laser hair removal sessions required after your initial round of sessions to get rid of hair? There are two main reasons for this.

The first is that the telogen stage can last for a long time for some of the hair in a treated area, meaning even the initial round of treatments can’t destroy all the hair follicles even if timed appropriately. It may take several months or years to completely destroy all the hair follicles in a treated area.

The second reason is that hair follicles can heal after some time and start growing hair again. With the right nutrition and enough time, the body tends to repair damaged hair follicles. Without maintenance treatments, patients may start experiencing lighter and thinner growth a year or so after their first treatments. Maintenance treatments are important to maintain the level of removal in your treated area.

However, if light hair growth doesn’t bother you, you can maintain the hairlessness in a treated area with light shaving or waxing a year or so after your last laser hair treatments. The growth will never go back to its level before the laser treatments were performed regardless of where it is, the upper lip, the legs, or anywhere else.

Featuring its exclusive 3D technology, Soprano Titanium combines the three most effective laser wavelengths into a single applicator, simultaneously targeting different tissue depths and anatomical structures within the hair follicle. By combining the absorption and penetration levels of different wavelengths, along with extended treatment coverage, increased comfort and low maintenance requirements, Soprano Titanium is the safest and most efficient hair removal treatment available today. 

The technology offers faster treatments, the ability to treat ALL skin types, virtually painless and we can treat ALL year round! So, can you roll off the lake into your laser appointment and head straight back after? Yes, you can. Crazy, we know.

SHR™ is the only clinically proven method of laser hair removal that is virtually painless, and it is the safest laser hair removal method for all skin types, including dark and tanned skin. Its unique gradual heating and single pulse delivery method effectively damages the hair follicle and hinders re-growth, while preventing injury to the surrounding tissue. SHR™ affects the melanin of the skin using a unique method, allowing the procedure to be performed anytime of the year as well as on tanned skin. 

For people with blonde hair, laser hair removal has always been a headache. The traditional laser hair technology doesn’t work well or at all with patients with light hair colors such as blonde or grey, as the lasers require pigmentation to effectively target the hair follicles. But new machines such as the Soprano Ice Platinum offer something new.

Does the Soprano Ice Platinum laser machine work on patients with blonde hair? Unlike other, older models of laser machines, the Soprano uses longer pulse lasers with longer wavelengths with the Alexandrite laser to make it more effective for blonde patients.

Traditional laser hair removal has difficulty removing blonde and other light hair colors, because of the lack of pigmentation in the unwanted hair. This is due to the way that laser hair removal works. The lasers are zapped towards the skin, and the heat energy from the laser is attracted to the pigmentation of the hairs.

Due to this attraction, the laser’s heat energy is able to travel down the hair and into the hair follicle, thus destroying the root where the hair grows and disabling future hair growth. The problem with light hair such as blonde hair and grey hair is that there isn’t enough pigmentation in the hair to efficiently attract the laser heat.

This means that lasers zapped to blonde hair end up not traveling below the skin and into the follicles to prevent hair growth; instead, they end up damaging the darker skin and hair. Due to this, patients with light hair have traditionally not been able to experience the results and safety of laser hair removal.

But recent advancements in laser hair removal technology have worked towards solving the problem with laser hair removal and lighter hair colors - meet the Soprano Titanium.  While the results might not be as effective as it would be on ideal hair removal patients – dark hair tones with fair skin – the treatment can still produce results for patients with even the lightest hair colors.

Honestly, blink and you’ll miss it. Among Soprano’s benefits is its extra-large Quattro applicator, which reduces treatment time by 70%, as it has the capacity to cover a wider area. 

Follow the below steps to get the best results out of your appointments:

To ensure that you get the best results possible during your appointment for blonde hair, be sure to follow the following guidelines before every session:

• Avoid Tanning: Tanning 1-2 weeks before your treatments can leave your skin more vulnerable to damage.
• Shave: Prior to all treatments, make sure to shave the hairs on the target area the day before or on the day of the treatment. Do NOT wax, as this will remove the hair follicle (which will regrow, meaning it can’t be damaged).
• Do Not Use Products: On the day of the treatment, make sure to avoid using any products on your skin. This includes lotions, soaps, and other skin products.

1. Consultation: The process begins with a consultation where a trained professional assesses your skin and hair type and discusses your expectations and concerns. We will also undergo a patch test.  Please advise the practitioner whether you have received any cosmetic injections in the treated area in the past 6 months.
2. Treatment Session: During the session, the laser device is passed over the targeted area, emitting controlled pulses of energy. Most people describe a sensation similar to a warm massage.
3.  These will be covered with tape if they are within the treatment area to avoid burns. (Dark tattoos absorb increased amounts of laser energy due to special dye). 

 Of course, pain is subjective, but the Soprano’s SHR technology is the only clinically proven laser hair removal method that is virtually painless, and we can personally attest to this. 

The Soprano has a built-in, patented cooling system called the ICE Plus which works to keep skin cool during the session. But before you think you’ve traded your pain for a chilly ice bath, don’t be alarmed. Despite its name, there was no spine-chilling icy feeling when it was applied to my bare skin. If anything, it felt on the warmer side.

Unlike some other hair removal methods that may require downtime for recovery, Soprano Titanium Laser Hair Removal has minimal to no downtime. 

Soprano Titanium offers long-lasting hair reduction, reducing the need for frequent maintenance sessions. 

For permanent results, you will then need maintenance treatments once or twice a year after. 

The Soprano Titanium is FDA-approved and backed by extensive clinical research, ensuring safe and effective treatments.

Soprano Titanium uses Alma Laser’s SHR method, which is the ONLY clinically proven method of laser hair removal that is virtually painless. 

 As previous Soprano versions, Soprano Titanium features SHR, the groundbreaking in-motion™ technology that ensures full coverage while ICE Plus tech cools the skin surface – preventing superficial burns and allowing for virtually painless, yet highly effective hair removal.

Soprano Titanium’s exclusive 3D technology combines the three most effective laser wavelengths into a single applicator, Soprano Titanium is able to target different tissue depths and anatomical structures within the hair follicle, resulting in more effective and permanent hair removal.

Here is a brief overview of the three laser wavelengths used in Soprano Titanium:

• Alexandrite (755nm): This wavelength is ideal for targeting superficial hair follicles and is particularly effective on light-colored hair.
• SPEED (810nm): This wavelength is able to penetrate deeper into the skin and is effective on a wider range of hair colors, including dark and coarse hair.
• YAG (1064nm): This wavelength is the deepest penetrating of the three and is effective on deeply embedded hair follicles and dark skin tones.

By combining these three wavelengths into a single applicator, Soprano Titanium is able to achieve more fast, simple and effective hair removal results.

Lavana operates under the oversight of a Medical Director licensed in the State of Montana.