Aesthetic Solutions

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Aesthetic Solutions
5821 Farrington Rd Suite 101
Chapel Hill, NC 27517
Phone: 919-403-6200

Laser Hair Removal
Regardless of the season—winter, spring summer or fall, or the color of ones skin—laser hair removal treatments can be performed with very good results.
-Shaving, waxing and tweezing are now tasks of the past!

DARE TO BE BARE!
Did you know that humans have more hair follicles per square inch of skin than our higher primate cousins, including chimpanzees and gorillas? Thank goodness, most of this hair is very fine and very pale and virtually indistinguishable to the naked eye. However, it is the thicker, fully pigmented hair that we find growing much to our distaste all over our legs, bikini line and underarms, on our backs, down our arms, on our chin, cheeks and upper lip. For centuries we have endured uncommon torture to tame the hair, fur and fuzz gone wild…all to no avail. To imagine a life without wax, without razors, tweezers, depilatories or electrolysis would sound simply inconceivable, and sadly it is…unless you’ve made an appointment at Aesthetic Solutions for Laser Hair Removal.

Hair 101
Hair is formed in a hair follicle, which is a pouch-like structure found below the skin. What we see as hair is actually the hair shaft, which is the keratinized, hardened tissue that grows from the follicle. Everyone's hair grows differently, depending on heredity, age, weight, metabolism, hormonal activity, and certain medications. For women, puberty, pregnancy and menopause play significant roles in determining hair growth as well. As a hair grows, it matures through three distinct phases:

Active growth phase (anagen). During anagen, the hair has an abundance of melanin, the dark pigment that gives hair its color. This is when laser hair removal is most effective and when you should schedule your treatments. Approximately 30% of our body hair, at any given time, is in anagen.

Regressive phase (catagen). During catagen, which lasts approximately 2 weeks, the hair no longer receives nourishment and stops growing.

Resting phase (telogen). During telogen, which takes two to six months, the cycle is complete and the hair ultimately falls out and a new growth cycle begins. The majority of our body hair is in this phase.

About Laser Hair Removal
Effective laser hair removal is based on the principle of selective photothermolysis. Via selective photothermolysis, the laser emits a beam of light that passes through the epidermis selectively targeting the hair follicle where it is absorbed by the dark pigment of the melanin. The laser’s energy is then transformed into heat, disabling the hair follicle and leaving the surrounding tissue unaffected. The laser “pulses” for a fraction of a second, and each "pulse" of light disables a large number of active hair follicles (anagen phase), including follicles that have yet to produce a visible shaft to the surface of the skin.

What to Expect
A day prior to treatment, patients should shave the area. Do not pluck, wax, bleach, or have electrolysis for at least six weeks before treatment. These treatments reduce the size of the follicle and reduce the laser's effectiveness. Patients should avoid the sun for 4 to 6 weeks before and after treatment. Patients with a history of herpes should take oral antiviral medications the day before if treating the upper lip or bikini line. A topical numbing gel will be made available to those who wish to use it but can only be applied in our office under the supervision of a physician or nurse.

After treatment, the skin will appear red and swollen, but this disappears in a short time. Occasionally, crusting or small pimples appear at the site of the hair follicles and this is treated with an antibiotic ointment. You may return to work or exercise immediately after treatment.

The consultation fee with one of our physicians is $80.00. Our aim is to provide safe, effective and affordable laser treatments. Patient variation and the nature of hair follicle growth make it difficult to predict the exact outcome in every case. We are committed to excellence and will attempt to provide a pleasing cosmetic result as well as a pleasant experience for all our patients.

How many treatments are needed?
We recommend Laser Hair Removal be performed in approximately five treatment sessions. Subsequent treatments should be performed when the hair begins to regrow, during the anagen phase. It is necessary to allow a period of one to three months between treatments to allow the resting hairs to become more sensitive to the laser energy. Hair regrowth occurs at different times for different body areas. For the face and armpits area it is usually after 1-2 months. On the back, legs, bikini area and other sites, it is usually 2-3 months.