Wrinkle Reduction

Laser Hair Removal in Ottawa

Achieve the look you desire!

Laser Hair removal is an exciting service offered in Nepean by Forever Beauty.

Non invasive. No downtime. 

Excellent results!  

IS LASER HAIR REMOVAL SAFE?

Treatment by the Assure 210, based on Nd:YAG  laser technology, is extremely safe. Laser hair removal was introduced after more than 30 years of laser research and clinical trials by physicians at more than 10 laser U.S. and Canadian research centers. All treatments are provided by certified laser specialists.

DOES THE LASER HURT?

Most patients experience a slight stinging sensation while the laser pulses are applied. 

What happens to the skin after the treatment?

Within several minutes of the treatment, the treated area will be come slightly red and puffy. Treated area will return to normal condition in a few hours. Since the laser does not damage the skin in any way, no bandages are necessary, and you can return to your normal activities immediately.

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?

Because the laser treats many hairs at a time, small facial areas (chin, lip, cheeks, etc.) can be treated in just 7-10 minutes. Longest treatments for larger body areas (full back, full legs, both arms, etc.), take about half an hour, depending upon the size of the area and the density of the hair.

How many treatments ARE required?

The laser works by disabling hairs that are in their active growth cycle at the time of treatment. Since other hairs will enter their growth cycles at different times, additional treatments are required. Usually 4 to 6 treatments are recommended at monthly intervals.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

Compared to a lifetime of waxing, shaving or purchasing depilatory creams, laser hair removal is very affordable. Price is based on the size of the area to be treated.

WHAT AREAS CAN BE TREATED?

All areas can be treated including: 

WHAT SKIN TYPES CAN BE TREATED?

Assure 210 is an Nd:YAG laser - the only type which can efficiently and safely treat all skin types.

Can tanned PATIENTS BE treated?

Yes. the Assure 210 can safely treat tanned skin.

PHOTOEPILATION-FAQ

Q. What laser is the best choice for Photoepilation?

A. Photoepilation - hair removal - with laser or lamp light sources — is considered nowadays to be the most effective and safe way to remove excess or unwanted hair. This method of hair removal works using the principle of selective photothermolysis in which a carefully timed pulse of laser energy is delivered to hair shafts and bulbs in such a manner as to destroy hair follicle while sparing the surrounding skin structures.

Effective absorption of melanin — the main hair chromophore — occurs within the range between 600-1100 nm. Wavelengths under 600 nm are strongly absorbed by blood microvessels and therefore cannot be used for hair removal; wavelengths above 1100 nm are strongly absorbed by water in tissue. The wavelengths available in the 600-1100 nm spectral range are: 694 nm (Ruby laser), 755 nm (Alexandrite laser), 800 nm (diode lasers), 1064 nm (Nd:YAG laser) and wideband pulsed light sources (550-1200 nm).

Under the theory of selective photothermolysis, selective light absorption is mainly influenced by the wavelength (color of light) applied, which is defined by light source/laser type .

 The first and most significant condition in choosing laser wavelength is penetration depth, which should be sufficient to target hair bulbs typically resting at 2-6 mm depth.

Literature studies show that penetration of laser energy into the skin is influenced by the following major factors:

a)      Light scattering in the skin: authors (1, 8, 9) claim that laser scattering coefficient decreases with increasing wavelength (see Fig.1) thus providing deeper penetration of longer wavelengths.

Fig.1. Absorption and scattering coefficient of dermis with 1% of blood content
in the wavelength range of 400-1000 nm. (Please note that a logarithmic scale was used for the vertical axis, so each vertical unit represents a significant difference).

b) Laser energy absorption by melanin present in skin and hair structures: absorption coefficient is also decreasing with increasing wavelength (Fig.1 and 2). There is a slight peak at 980 nm due to absorption of energy by water. While at short wavelengths the dependence of laser light absorption on hair color is strong enough, at wavelengths higher than 1000 nm it diminishes significantly (see Fig.2).

Fig.2. Light absorption by black and blond hair as a function of wavelength. . (Please note that a logarithmic scale was used for the vertical axis, so each vertical unit represents a significant difference).

Thus, shorter wavelengths (Ruby, Alexandrite, major spectrum of a xenon lamp) are actively absorbed by hair which makes such photoepilators more preferable at first sight. However, melanin contained in superficial skin layers, although less concentrated than in hair, absorbs short wavelengths strongly enough to cause side effects during depilation. Because of strong absorption in superficial skin layers, short wavelengths can only reach hair shafts and not deeply laid bulbs. Therefore Ruby and Alexandrite lasers are better used for targeting 1-3 mm deep hair bulbs in treatment of light-skinned patients (Fitzpatrick type I and II). Furthermore, when dark-skinned patients (Fitzpatrick types IV-V) are treated with 500–800 nm laser energy, competitive absorption of light by hair and skin may cause singes and pigmentation problems in the targeted tissue.

The aforesaid equally refers to lamp epilators - pulsed light sources generating light in the whole spectrum range of maximum absorption by melanin-bearing skin components 500 (590)…1200 nm. Long wavelengths emitted by a lamp photoepilator (900 … 1200 nm) penetrate into skin deeply enough. Yet the main part of lamp epilator energy falls within 500–900 nm, and this range is very strongly absorbed by melanin in the epidermal skin layer. Thus, lamp epilators as well as Ruby, Alexandrite or diode lasers may be dangerous in treatment of IV-VI Fitzpatrick types, and their use is restricted by seasonal limitations (due to tanning) and probable pigmentation disorders in treatment sites. Filters used to "cut off" short wavelengths (eg. ultra violet) considerably degrade lamp performance.

Nd: YAG systems generate 1064 nm wavelength, which is much less absorbed by the melanin of the skin and therefore much safer. As well, Nd:YAG laser energy is able to pass deeply into the skin (up to 7 mm) and target hair bulbs at different depth regardless of  the skin color. Curve approximation at 1064 nm area (Fig.2) allows one to speculate that the absorption coefficient of 1064 nm laser energy is not greatly dependent on hair color, providing an opportunity to unify treatment modes for patients with different hair color and skin types. This factor encourages wide use of Nd: YAG lasers as versatile devices for hair removal which may be applied to people with various skin/hair types, without any seasonal or race limitations.

Another important factor influencing selection of a light source for photoepilation is the level of photothermolysis selectivity, i.e. the ratio between the temperature of a heated hair follicle and adjacent epidermis layers. The main reason for a difference in temperature of hair and skin is unequal concentration of the absorbing chromophore - melanin - hair usually contains more. To efficiently remove hair with different follicle depths the photothermolysis selectivity level should be sufficiently large over the whole site of light diffusion in the skin.

Research shows (Fig.3a and 3b, (1)) that the photothermolysis selectivity level rises with wavelength increase, and if the discussed range within 690-1000 nm best fits for removing hair much darker than skin, only wavelengths higher than 800 nm are able to make follicle temperature exceed temperature of epidermis in cases when the hair is only slightly darker than the skin. This primarily applies to hair with deeply laid follicles. Analysis of the stated factors shows that only wavelengths longer than 1000 nm (Nd: YAG systems) allow the ratio between follicle and epidermis temperatures to be higher than 1 at 3-4 mm.

Fig.3a. Ratio between hair follicle temperature (TH) and epidermis temperature (TE)
as a function of wavelength for different hair depth.
Hair-skin contrast is equal to 10 (hair is 10 times darker than the skin).

Fig.3b. Ratio between hair follicle temperature (TH) and epidermis temperature (TE)
as a function of wavelength for different hair depth.
Hair-skin contrast is equal to 5 (hair only slightly darker than the skin).

Thus, thermal features of 1064 nm laser energy absorption by skin and hair support the eventual wide use of Nd:YAG laser systems as versatile devices for hair removal which may target unwanted hair in patients with any skin type and follicle depth, without seasonal or race limitations.

Q. How does spot size influence the efficiency of laser treatment?

A. Spot size. The selection of a spot size is influenced by two major reasons:

a) A large spot size allows reducing the number of flashes and lessens treatment time.

b) Authors (5) claim that penetration into skin depends not only on wavelength applied and skin color treated but also on the size of a light spot. If a treated spot is smaller than the penetration depth, light is dissipated and penetration decreases. Figure 4 reveals that Ruby laser energy fluence is reduced to 20% at 2.6 mm with 1 mm spot diameter and at 3.5 mm with 5 mm spot.

Fig.4. A 694 nm light fluence distribution at two different spot sizes.

Spots with larger diameter will therefore reduce dissipation effect and improve depth of penetration, which is critical for efficient laser depilation. The Nd: YAG laser system is powerful enough to meet this requirement without any complications. Due to its high energy output, the Assure 210 offers a possibility of varying treatment spots within a 7-15 mm range, this upper limit being the highest among currently available laser epilators.

Q. What Fluence is required for efficient laser hair removal?

A. Energy fluence. Laser energy per pulse should be sufficient to provide 45-60 J/cm² fluence. The Assure 210 laser system features maximum energy output of 80 J – the highest in the North American market - and fluences well over 60 J/cm² .

Q. What are recommendations for pulse duration?

A. Pulse duration is a parameter which allows fine adjustment of "milder" treatment modes ensuring maximum efficacy and making the treatment essentially painless. The objective is to make treatment more selective due to optimization of pulse duration. A choice of pulse width is determined by the thermal relaxation time (TRT) — the time it takes for 50% of energy to be conducted away from a target tissue. When treatment is aimed at damaging a target then pulse duration should be less or equal to the target's TRT. To avoid overheating, the tissue should be treated with pulses greatly exceeding its TRT. Epidermis is the first to be exposed during laser epilation and may be easily damaged by high-power energies so pulse duration should exceed its thermal relaxation time. Yet to destroy hair follicles laser energy should be applied in a period shorter than the follicle TRT. The TRT for the follicle is estimated to be 20-50 ms on average (up to100 ms for very coarse hair) (4, 6, 7) depending on its diameter while epidermis has 1-10 ms TRT. Therefore, a hair removal device must use pulses longer than 10 ms but shorter than 100 ms. The optimum pulse duration will be 40-50 ms.

Authors (1) illustrate time dependence of epidermis and hair bulbs temperature when targeted by 3 short pulses <7 ms with 20 ms interval (see Fig.5).

Fig.5. Temperature behavior in the epidermis and in the hair bulb during a triple pulse.

The figure clearly shows that by the end of the third pulse the bulb temperature increases to T_H~80°C and epidermis temperature is T_E~58°C.

Most laser and lamp epilators currently available provide one-digit millisecond pulse duration, while "long-pulsed" systems are more advantageous as they allow best results with minimum heating of superficial skin layers. This, on one hand, makes skin cooling almost unnecessary, on the other hand, allows the treatment of patients whose skin and hair color is least contrasted. The Assure 210 laser epilator gives a possibility to select pulse duration within a range of 7 to 50 ms.

Thus, specific features of the Assure 210 laser epilator present an ideal combination ensuring effective hair removal in Fitzpatrick skin types I-VI, due to the right choice of energy fluence, spot diameter and "long" pulses. Thermal safety, minimum treatment time and clinical efficiency are characteristic for hair removal process performed with the Assure 210.

Q. What is optimum Pulse Repetition Rate (PRR) for laser hair removal?

A. Most of the laser depilators on the market are specifically designed for PRR in range of 0.5-2 Hz.

Higher PRR isn’t recommended due to:

- Low treatment accuracy and related customer disappointment

- Treatment with higher PRR is more painful, so lower fluence value has to be used, which would decrease treatment efficiency.

- Higher probability of skin burns due to pulse overlapping.

Assure 210 has the best Spot Size/PRR combination, providing safe, fast and comfortable laser treatment.

References:

1. G. Lask, S. Eckhouse, M. Slatkim et.al. The role of laser and intense light sources in
photo-epilations: a comparative evaluation J. at Cutaneous Laser Therapy, 1, 3 (1999)
2. K. Klavuhn Illumination geometry: The importance of laser beam spatial characteristics/
Laser hair removal technical note ¹2: published by Coherent, inc. (2000)
3. K. Klavuhn Epidermal protection: A comparative analysis of sapphire contact and cryogen spray cooling / Laser Hair removal technical note ¹1: published by Coherent, inc. (2000)
4. Scientific rationale for long pulse Nd:YAG laser for hair removal /http://www.laserscope.com/treat/lyra_scientific.html
5. Keijzer M., Jacquse SL, Prahl SA, Welch AJ. Light distribution in artery tissue: Monte Carlo simulations for finite-diameter laser beams. / Laser Surg Med 1989; 9; 148-54
6. Wheeland RG. Laser-assisted hair removal. Dermatol Clin 1997; 15:459-77
7. Grossman MC, Dierickx CC, Farinelli W, Flotte T, Anderson RR. Damage to hair follicles by normal-mode ruby laser pulses. I Am Acad Dermatol 1996; 35:889-94
8. Svaasand, Norvang LT, Fiskerstrand EJ, Stopps EKS, Bearns MW, Nelson JS. Tissue parameters determining the visual appearance of normal skin and port-wine stains. Laser Mad Sci 1995;
10; 55-65.
9. Anderson RR, Parrish JA. The optics of human skin. J Invert Dermatol 1981; 77; 13-19

 Wrinkle Reduction