Type of Surgery
Information
Last updated: 04/27/2009
Immediately after laser hair removal, the treated area should be cooled with a cold compress. This will decrease discomfort and swelling. Cold compresses will also keep redness to a minimum. In some instances a topical steroid may be prescribed. If significant skin breakdown occurred during the procedure, a topical or even oral antibiotic may be prescribed to prevent infection.
Patients can leave the surgical suite immediately after the procedure. Since there is no general anesthetic involved, patients will be able to drive themselves home if desired. Patients should avoid applying makeup to the treated area for at least 24 hours after the surgery. Also, expect that the treated area will extrude hair “casts” during the first week after the procedure. This is completely normal yet many patients confuse these casts with new hair growth. These hair casts can be dislodged by washing the skin.
Remember that multiple visits may be necessary to achieve the best result. Laser hair removal sessions will be separated in time to allow the skin to heal. The speed at which the skin heals often dictates when the next laser hair removal session can occur.
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Other Information
Epilation by laser was performed experimentally for about 20 years before it became commercially available in the mid 1990s. Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) epilators, though technically not a laser, use xenon flash lamps that emit full spectrum light. Laser and light-based methods, sometimes called phototricholysis or photoepilation, are now most commonly referred to collectively as "laser hair removal". One of the first published articles describing laser hair removal was authored by the group at Massachusetts General Hospital in 1998.
The efficacy of laser hair removal is now generally accepted in the dermatology community, and laser hair removal is widely practiced. Many reviews of laser hair removal methods, safety, and efficacy have been published in the dermatology literature.
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