I urgently need to find out if LHR with Alexandrite will only “reach” the hair and “kill” the hairs IF there’s hair growth at the moment of the procedure… Can the laser beam reach the melanin under the skin, assuming one has shaven the hair in the area and that that hair has not grown back yet as to make it to the surface? If the hair root, so to speak, is there, can the laser still target it?
Or does one need to let the unwanted hair grow before getting the treatment?
I know there are hairs that might not even be active at the time of the procedure, but I am thinking of those hair follicles that DO are active, but whichs hair have not reached the surface of the skin yet.
I need that info urgently, because I’ve been offered a very good deal in terms of $$$ for laser hair removal with Alexandrite for the underarm area, but I should have the procedure done relatively soon and I am afraid that most of the hair I have shaved yesterday would still not be visible.
Would the laser still kill those active follicles, whichs hair have not “come out” yet?
Either you will need to shave or your laser operator will shave you prior to treatment. The laser will penetrate through your skin and target anagen (active) hairs. Hair above the skin’s surface waste the laser’s energy. Call and ask questions. It’s their job to inform you.
When you shave is really irrelevent. The laser energy will be absorbed by any pigment bearing cells that happen to be within its effective target area and depth. Pigmented cells below the surface will be treated whether they are growing or not.
It is a good idea to shave prior to going in for a treatment only to avoid the hair above the skin absorbing energy that would otherwise target the areas below the skin where the hair grows from.
Chris
Sorry I took so long in answering back!
I had not realized I had gotten answers, in the old version of the forum, I had checked the option of being informed in my email inbox if there were replies to my post, but it is not the case with the new form of forum and I just thought I had not gotten answers.
Sorry!!!
Thanks for the information!!! very, very clear! Actually, the people at the clinic did clarify that for me… but by the time I had posted, I had been doing all the arrangements by phone from work, and I had not had the time, chance or privacy to ask for enough info… you know… how to ask in front of your boss: “should I shave my bikini line before?” and stuff like that <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> LOL.
I didn’t know if I would have the time to do whatever was necessary (or not do it) before the appointment, thank God I did get to reach one of the practitioners there in a calm moment at work and was informed better of what to do.
Thanks anyway, because your answers were very complete, and in a way, clearer than the ones of the practitioners. That clinic is good and the doctor in charge is very responsible and serious (she never mislead me on the matters, she is a good professional), but I was not being treated directly by her but by one of her practitioners, which are very skilled in using the machines and on what to do, but not really on the why’s or how’s behind the routines they have to closely follow with the patients.
Thank you!!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
I have had my treatments (underarms and bikini line) done, and now I plan to zap the regrowth with plain’ol good electrolysis. I just needed something to “fasten” electrolysis, and the $$$ deal with the laser clinic was good (especially since the people there never meant to mislead me about laser being permament at 100%, etc. etc.).