Laser Hair Removal

About Your Treatment

• Our laser. We use the Candela GentleMax Pro®, the gold standard in laser hair removal. It combines two lasers in one: the 755 nm Alexandrite laser for lighter skin and the 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser, which is safer for darker skin, so we can tailor your treatment to your skin and hair. Its built-in cooling sprays a burst of cryogen onto the skin with each pulse to help protect it.
• A series of treatments. Hair grows in cycles, and the laser treats only the hairs that are actively growing at the time. Most people need about 4–8 sessions, spaced several weeks apart, and occasional maintenance sessions afterward.
• Permanent hair reduction, not 100% removal. Laser hair removal is permanent hair reduction: a long-term reduction in the number of hairs that grow back. It does not remove every hair, and what grows back is often finer and lighter. Light blond, gray, white, or red hair has little pigment for the laser to target and responds poorly.

Before Your Treatment

• Do not be tanned. No sun, tanning beds, or sunless tanning for 4–6 weeks before treatment, and self-tanning creams and sprays must completely fade. If you are tanned or sunburned, the treatment may be canceled for your safety.
• No waxing, tweezing, threading, bleaching, or electrolysis for at least 4 weeks before your first treatment and throughout your course, and no depilatory creams. The laser targets the pigment (melanin) in the hair root beneath the skin, so the root must be there. Shaving is the only recommended hair removal method.
• Shave the area the night before or the morning of your treatment. Hair above the skin absorbs the light, which can cause discomfort or a burn and makes the treatment less effective.
• Light-sensitizing medications. Stop medicated creams that make you sun-sensitive (glycolic acid, tretinoin, retinol) one week before. Some antibiotics also make the skin sensitive to light, so tell our staff if you have taken oral or topical antibiotics within 7 days of your treatment.
• Numbing cream. Too much numbing cream can be absorbed into the bloodstream and cause serious side effects. Do not apply large amounts to large areas at once, and never cover it with plastic wrap or add heat. Use it only as our team directs.
• Accutane. Tell us if you have taken Accutane (isotretinoin) in the past 6 months.
• Cold sores. If you are prone to cold sores and are having your face treated, tell us; you may be placed on an antiviral medication. Take it as instructed and finish the course.
• No facials, peels, or laser skin treatments in the treatment areas for 2 weeks before and after treatment.
• Tell us about any medication allergies, and if you are pregnant or nursing.
• Come with clean skin. No lotion, cream, makeup, or deodorant on the areas to be treated. Products on the skin can block or bend the laser light and make treatment less effective.

After Your Treatment

Mild redness and swelling right after treatment are normal and can last 2 hours or longer; redness can last 2–3 days, and the area may feel sunburned. Between 5 and 20 days after treatment the treated hairs may shed, which can look like new growth. It is not new hair growth.

• Cool the area with ice wrapped in a soft cloth, never directly on the skin, in 15–20 minute intervals for the first few hours. If redness or swelling persists, cool it for 15 minutes 3–4 times a day for 3 days.
• Wash gently with cool or lukewarm water and pat dry for 3 days. Do not scrub, and avoid very hot water for the first day.
• For 24 hours, avoid hot tubs, saunas, and heavy sweating, and skip deodorant on treated underarms.
• Makeup may be used right after treatment unless there is blistering.
• Do not pick or scratch the treated area.
• Between treatments, shave only. No waxing, tweezing, threading, or electrolysis, which disturb the hair roots the laser needs.
• Avoid the sun for 3 months. Strictly protect the treated skin from direct sun, tanning beds, and self-tanner for 3 months. Treated skin burns and changes color easily. Wear a wide-brimmed hat, stay in the shade, and use a mineral sunscreen, SPF 30 or higher, reapplied every 2 hours outdoors. Sunscreen is not a substitute for sun avoidance.

If you are ever unsure, our team is always available. Take a few clear, well-lit photos and email them to Staff@NaderiCenter.com. For anything more urgent, please call the office so we get your message quickly.