As a method of permanent hair removal, laser hair removal is extremely effective. By targeting the hair pigmentation, it thermally damages the hair follicles so that they no longer support hair growth. But the research on laser hair removal and pregnancy is sketchy at best, making it impossible to determine just how safe There have been no studies done to learn how laser hair removal during pregnancy might affect the fetus, and without that information, many obstetricians advise against laser hair removal for their patients.

Expectant mothers might consider electrolysis as an alternative method of hair removal; during electrolysis the hair follicle is destroyed by the radio-frequency-emitting probe inserted into it. Electrolysis uses one of the two kinds of electrical currents, galvanic or thermolysis.

Galvanic electrolysis, because it demands that an electrical current actually passes through the patient, is not appropriate during pregnancy. Most electrologists require authorization from a woman obstetrician before performing thermolysis, even though it has never caused damage either to an expectant mother or to her fetus.

The limited research on electrolysis and pregnancy, like that on laser hair removal and pregnancy, makes obstetricians hesitant it. Women who opt for electrolysis during their pregnancies, especially those in their last trimesters, should at all costs avoid having it done around their abdomens and breasts.

Source: MSOKOREA

When summer hits, we ladies think about it. Hair removal so our legs are smooth in shorts and bathing suits. But this year, there’s a new option to get rid of that hair more permanently.. and less painfully.

If you need unwanted hair to vanish for a long time it hurts. Whether you laser it, wax it, or use electrolysis. But now a simple new device is taking the hurt out of hair removal. Laser surgery technician Eric Bernstein tested it on many people including workout personal trainer Gretchen Corialos who wants her whole body to be smooth. Erin Elmore an investment banker who was on season 3 of the Apprentice, and joining the test, Kate Beaver a dancer for the Philadelphia 76-ers. They all bared their arm pits, and had regular laser hair removal under one arm.. and the new improved type under the other. Eric Bernstein says, “One of the drawbacks of laser hair removal is that it hurts. And the reason it hurts is because the hair takes up the light and produces heat. The more hair, the thicker the hair, the more it hurts.”

This is regular laser hair removal. Erin Elmore says, “”I think the firing may have been more painful on my heart. This is more painful on my pits. Ha ha” Now the same lasering with this new invention. The PSF device that actually sucks up the skin. Kate Beaver says, “Definitely less pain. So which one would you pick next time. I would do this one again. The one with less pain. Definitely.”

How does it work? Eric Bernstein says, “Our skin is only allowed to feel one sensation at a time. So we can feel pressure or we can feel pain. Given the choice, we’d all choose pressure. So what this device does is it suctions the skin so we feel a pressure sensation and we can’t feel pain.”

Once you have laser hair treatments three times, you’ll only need a touchup once or twice a year to keep the hair away. The cost for both armpits, 150 to 250-dollars.

Source: KTIV

This time of year — when shorts and beach weather are near — the razors, depilatory creams and hot wax get pulled out for a little spring cleaning on the body. In 1792, philosopher Mary Wollstonecraft complained that women, “confined in cages like the feathered race . . . have nothing to do but to plume themselves, and stalk with mock majesty from perch to perch.”

Feminists in the 1960s and ’70s labelled shaving a symbol of oppression of a woman’s libido and self-expression.

I ponder this, crouched on the edge of my tub as I slap a dollop of burning hot goop on my calf and smooth a cloth strip over it. Rub, count to 25. Grab and pull back in a swift upward motion. Except I hesitate and tug off the stubble-laden strip. Dots of blood form on my red, bare skin and I start to cry a little. OUCH!

Hair removal is a painful, politically indefensible, costly chore that I keep threatening to abandon. It remains a fashion indulgence that even the most forward-thinking women and men buy into, generating billions of dollars every year.

And as much as I’d like to rise above it, I will not give up having two eyebrows, bare underarms and wearing a bathing suit without feeling like a Sasquatch. It’s my body and I’ll plume if I want to.

On a mission to find longer-lasting and less traumatic methods of hair removal around town, I made a couple of satisfying discoveries.

It started when a close friend told me she was getting laser hair removal. From anyone else this would have been forgettable. But this friend is the biggest hippie I know. She has not shaved her underarms or legs for years. However, her bikini line was the breaking point.

She invested about $200 for each of the six to eight treatments it takes to be rid of the hair. But when a nearby clinic offered a package deal last fall for about 25 per cent less, I went for it.

On my first visit to the Adora Skin Laser Clinic (772 Bay St.), I have only two concerns: Pain and effectiveness.

The first is addressed with a $40 tube of numbing cream and an ice pack. The second, my laser technician says, depends on the individual, and permanent hair removal is not guaranteed.

“We call it permanent hair reduction,” says Vicky Etchells, whose friendly English accent soothes as she fires up her laser machine and passes me a pair of protective eyeglasses.

“If you think of it as a forest, each time you come for a visit, the laser will destroy 15 to 20 per cent of hair. Selective logging,” she later tells me.

The laser works by damaging hair follicles with a wave of light transmitted through gun-like hand piece. It works best on light skin with dark hair.

While some clinics might claim it is a pain-free alternative to electrolysis or waxing, this is not my experience.

As Etchells glides her gun along my thigh, each zap feels like a hot pinprick, and the smell of burning hair fills the room.

This is a small unpleasantness compared to the long, stinky process of using depilatory creams or painful, messy self-waxing. And it’s quick. My treatments are down to 15 minutes and the results are good.

Etchells, also an esthetician who spent years waxing and teaching how to wax, says laser hair removal has been a blessing for people who have had persistent hair growth in unusual places.

“I’ve had women with a full man’s growth beard cry because no one has been able to help them before,” she says. Excessive hair growth, or hirsutism, has become more prevalent among women, according to several studies, caused by an excess of androgen hormones linked to some oral contraceptives, anabolic steroids and high-insulin diets.

Etchells has also noticed a higher demand for more extreme hair removal. She’s seeing a majority of young women who want their pubic hair completely off and more men who want hair-free chests.

“When you open a magazine and look at these celebrities, that’s what they’re after,” says Etchells. “The media has a huge influence on the trends, but the results are permanent.”

My next stop on the ne’er-hair mission is the Sunrise Hair Salon and Tanning (3388 Douglas St.). Several Vancouver friends swear by the ancient Indian hair removal technique of threading, offered in every Little India salon along Fraser Street, but I’ve never seen it here. That’s because only a few people do it. I find Pavi Kaloti with a quick Google search.

“I was doing it from home for a long time,” says Kaloti, 32, who trained as an esthetician in India and opened her salon here about three years ago. She has her brother in India send her the pure cotton thread, and recently sponsored her younger sister Puneet Pabla, also a skilled henna artist, to come work with her. “Most of my clients are westerners. They like threading because it’s quick and better than waxing or plucking. Doesn’t irritate the skin.”

It’s also cheap. The first visit for eyebrow threading is $10. Regular follow-ups are only $5. Waxing at most salons in town is upwards of $25 each visit.

The best part: Kaloti includes a quick sweep of any rogue chin and upper lip hairs.

I bring a picture of Audrey Hepburn’s perfectly arched brows, seeing as I have a lot of brow to work with. Kaloti holds the thread between her hands like the Cat’s Cradle game kids play and has me hold my skin taught.

Kaloti uses the thread to make loops that catch and pull hair out from the root. Several hairs can be yanked out at once.

It takes her less than 10 minutes to twist and rip my eyebrows into two separate perfect crescent shapes. Threading hurts less than waxing or plucking but still stings — though not enough to keep me from becoming a convert. Tweezers be damned.

Source: Times Colonist

Some of the ugly side of laser hair removal are blisters, red spots, places where the pigment has been completely pulled out of the skin.

The I-TEAM found the people performing laser hair removal in Minnesota aren’t being tracked or licensed and are minimally trained. WCCO went undercover for a consultation.

“So what kind of training do you have?” a producer asked.

“Not much. Well I was down in Florida for a week and learned how to run a laser,” said the technician.

The technician also told the I-TEAM, “It’s pretty hard to really hurt somebody with a laser.”

Victim Speaks Out
Try telling that to a woman still recovering from burns she suffered to her face after undergoing laser hair removal four months ago.

“I did have nice skin to where I would feel confident without makeup, today I don’t feel that way at all,” said the victim who didn’t want to be named.

“The lady assured me that it would only take two to three days and it should clear up. Basically anybody can do this, and that’s not right,” she said.

A doctor has to buy the laser necessary to remove hair, but the I-TEAM found in Minnesota anyone can operate it.

“The first year I lasered people, I under treated and over charged everyone because the things you see happening with the laser scared you,” the technician told the I-TEAM.

Wisconsin’s Rules
States like Wisconsin require a physician to supervise laser hair removal and require hands on training and continuing education. However, the I-TEAM found Minnesota requires none of that.

“They’re serious medical instruments that should be supervised by a physician,” said Dr. Charles Crutchfield.

Crutchfield is a dermatologist and worries about the growing number of patients he sees suffering burns at clinics across the Twin Cities.

“Burns, if they’re superficial can leave a dark spot that might last several months,” he said. “If they’re deep they can form a scar and that’s lifelong. I always tell people the bitterness of low quality always lasts longer than the sweetness of a low price.”

Even though it’s not required, Crutchfield supervises the laser hair technician who performs procedures in his office.

“There is potential for complications with the laser. It is a medical device and people need to be properly screened before treatment,” said Chris Cairl, who has performed 15,000 laser hair removal procedures.

Cairl said some medications that make you sensitive to the sun like Accutane can trigger trouble. Lasers are also not recommended for use on people with blonde or gray hair, dark skin or even tanned skin. A technician should take a medical history and ask what kinds of medications you are on.

Yet the clinic where the victim the I-TEAM spoke with still performed the procedure on her dark skin.

“They said they had experience doing this with one African American guy and he had pretty good results so they were saying ‘Yeah we might be able to help you,’” she said.

The clinic where she was treated said it no longer does laser hair removal on black skin.

The I-TEAM tried to figure out who’s overseeing these clinics. The health department and the state boards of medicine and cosmetology all said — Not us.

The Food and Drug Administration said it’s up to each state to come up with rules for laser hair removal.

So What Should You Do?
First, ask a dermatologist if you’re a good candidate. Then get a referral from your physician.

They should be able to tell you which clinics are operating the laser under a licensed doctor’s supervision. Doctors recommend you go to a clinic that has a supervising physician who knows something about skin.

Some doctors say they have heard of clinics where the doctor is actually a retired psychiatrist or someone with no training at all about how to handle skin burns.

Source: WCCO

Spreading hot wax on the skin? Ripping hair out by the root? Zapping yourself with lasers?

This might sound like some type of horrific torture, but it isn’t. Shedding layers as the weather gets warmer means finding ways to shed our body hair, even if the process does occasionally make us say, “Ouch.”

Elaine Sauer, corporate spa director for Mario Tricoci, said a bikini wax will always hurt a little. But there are ways to ease and reduce the pain, she said.

“It’s like taking off the Band-Aid,” Sauer said. “Whether you’ve done it once or done it a hundred times, you still feel that smarting.”

Mario Tricoci offers two methods of waxing, one of which uses cloth strips and a warm wax made of pine resin. The other method uses a hard wax that allows the hair to be removed once the substance hardens.

Sauer said certain exfoliating products and medications with retinol can make the skin more sensitive during a waxing. Clients should disclose to the aesthetician whether they’ve used anything that might make their skin tender. For women, all waxing should be avoided if they are within three days of their menstrual cycles, Sauer said.

Taking a pain reliever such as Advil about 30 minutes prior to the wax also can help with the pain. And ice chips or a cold compress are recommended if the skin turns red afterward.

As for those home waxing kits, you might be using them at your own risk. Not only is the bikini line tough to wax at home, it’s an area best left to the professionals. Sauer said the dangers of home waxing include rashes and tearing the skin. If a rash occurs, Sauer suggests using hydrocortisone. Neosporin with pain relief should be applied to any skin tears.

Another option for ridding yourself of unwanted hair in time for summer is laser treatments. The laser detects the melanin in the skin and combusts the hair follicle, said Denise Croft, licensed medical aesthetician and laser technician at Dermatique Laser and Skin in Geneva. The lasers are equipped with cooling devices to help with any pain or sensitivity.

Laser treatments on the bikini line cost about $500, Croft said. The most popular treatment request is for facial hair removal, which costs about $640 for the upper lip and chin.

Although the treatments, sold in packages of five, result in a nearly 100 percent reduction in hair, Croft said hormones sometimes can affect whether it returns someday.

“I had one lady who said she wanted a touch up after 10 years,” Croft said. “Your hormones come into play. If you become a high testosterone producer, your hair may grow back. We can’t control that.”

Because the treatment will make the skin more photo-sensitive, Croft said clients must use plenty of sun block afterward and consume

antioxidants.

But the question amongst all the tweezing, shaving, waxing and treatments we undergo for hair removal is this: Is it worth it? If the sight of a unibrow or ungroomed bikini line makes you uneasy, then the answer likely is “yes.”

“People tend to want to have that really smooth, hair-free skin,” Sauer said. “We are wearing more revealing clothing.”

Off with your hair

– Don’t shave before a leg or bikini wax. The hair should be about the length of a long grain of rice for removal.

– Do use Neosporin and hydrocortisone if a rash or tearing occurs.

– Don’t have a wax within three days of your menstrual cycle. The skin is more sensitive then.

– Do try taking a mild pain reliever about 30 minutes before a wax. Ice chips or cold compresses afterward can help to ease any redness.

Source: Kane County Chronicle

If you’re worried about body hair showing up on the beach as summer approaches, there is now a new, less painful way to zap away hair.

In laser hair removal, doctors shoot a beam of light down to the base of the skin. While these lasers have been around for awhile, the procedure is now less painful.

Laser hair removal specialist Dr. Brian Treon said, “The root of the hair absorbs the light, heats up, and it’s burned from the inside.”

Before the procedure, the patient puts on protective goggles. The specialist applies temporary darkening agent which draws the light from the laser into the skin.

Cold water sprays the surface of the skin every time the laser fires. That freezes the top layer of the skin so that the laser can go down to the base layer and do its job, while the skin remains protected.

The results can be pretty dramatic. They are not considered permanent, but hair production will stay reduced for life.

The most common complication is redness of the skin.

Treatment costs range from about $100 to $600 per session. Most patients require several sessions to get desired results.

Source: 13 Wham

Here are several popular procedures available at medical spas:

* Laser hair removal is the most popular medical spa procedure nationwide. About 10 percent to 15 percent of customers are men. About six treatments are precisely timed over several months. Touch-ups might be required. Hair is permanently removed or greatly diminished. Prices range from less than $200 for the upper lip to several thousand dollars for the legs. The procedure can be uncomfortable. Potential problems can include burning, scarring, blistering or pigmentation problems.

* Botox injections, which smooth wrinkles, last about three months. A single injection costs about $375, but they usually are sold as a discounted package. They can be uncomfortable but not extremely painful. Problems are rare but potentially can include drooping, double vision and asymmetry in the face.

* Tattoo removal is painful and expensive, requiring a minimum of six laser treatments that hurt more than getting the tattoo, according to William Nelson, medical director at Skinovative Laser Center at the Chandler Fashion Center in Chandler, Ariz. Results and cost depend on the size and type of tattoo and can cost thousands of dollars.

* Skin resurfacing is achieved through abrasion, chemicals or lasers. Recovery time can vary, but the newest laser treatments claim no pain or downtime. It can take a few weeks to see noticeable results, and it can last several months. Costs vary, but expect to pay at least $1,000.

* Fillers, such as Restylane or Radiesse, plump the folds of the skin and smooth out wrinkles. They’re minimally painful, injected with small needles after a topical anesthetic is applied. There can be some swelling, but there’s little downtime. Fillers last several months and can be repeated. Expect to pay about $400.

* Vein treatments remove spider or small varicose veins, either through laser or chemical treatments. Both have little discomfort, although multiple treatments might be required.

* Accent cellulite treatment is awaiting approval by the Food and Drug Administration. It will use radio waves to stretch the connective tissue that dimples the fat deposits.

Source: Sauk Valley

Shaving specialist Gillette has announced an investment package worth $1.5m to develop light-based hair removal systems with Palomar, a company that specializes in laser cosmetic treatments.

Gillette’s move is significant because it is the first time it is has entered into the laser-based hair removal sector for females – one that is fast-growing

The hair removals market in the US is said to be valued at $2.5bn and is experiencing average annual growth of 5 per cent, but undoubtedly the fastest growing segment is that for laser-based methods.

Although the technology is still fairly new, the US FDA says that it is currently struggling to maintain a comprehensive list of all laser manufacturers operating in the US.

As well as hair removal, light-based laser treatments for home use are also proving popular for anti-aging purposes, as evinced by the recently launched Rejuvawand from Light Dimensions, which relies on red lasers to stimulate collagen growth.

Crucial to the success of this technology on the US consumer market is FDA approval, which Palomar received back in December. The company said that the 510(k) certification made it the first company to receive over-the-counter clearance for a home-use light-based hair removal device.

Tapping into the opportunity that this provides, Gillette has announced that it will build on an existing joint development program, signed last week, to focus on the development of an additional hair removal system for women.

The development program is scheduled to last until January next year and will see Gillette invest $1.2m into the development of the new product, alongside an additional $300,000 once the project is completed.

Gillette says that the program will also entail a continued consultation with Palomar to determine the next steps for development and cosmmercialization of the product.

Palomar CEO Joseph Caruso said that after four years of continuous development the company had now proven that it has a safe and effective product that can be sold directly to consumers.

“Years ago we recognized that if light-based hair removal could brought to the home, the market opportunity would be vastly larger and would further increase professional system sales by increasing consumer awareness,” he said.

Caruso went on to say that the company’s working relationship with Gillette would enable it to tap into its worldwide manufacturing, marketing and distribution expertise.

In recent years the market for hair removal products has expanded significantly with a number of new products appearing in the depilatory segment. One noteable product innovation has been the launch of a number of deodorants with hair growth inhibitors.

On the ingredients side, Israeli biotech company IBR has recently launched a narcissus bulb extract, IBR Domain, that is said to halt the process of unwanted hair growth by naturally inducing the hair into the catagen stage of the hair cycle – the period where the old hair ceases to grow and gets ready to shed while a new hair is formed.

Source: Cosmetics Design

You’re not allowed to apply false eyelashes in Texas without a license.

You need state credentials to braid a client’s hair. To shave a moustache with a razor. Even to shampoo somebody’s tresses.

But if you’re using a laser to zap away their unwanted hair, you don’t need a license. Just about anyone can set up shop here.

Like many states, Texas has no mandatory training, regular inspections or other regulations for laser hair removal — a treatment that uses beams of light to kill hair more or less permanently.

That could change this year, if state lawmakers approve legislation to regulate laser technicians and their businesses.

Proposed by state Rep. Vicki Truitt, R-Keller, the rules would require technicians — who don’t need to be healthcare professionals — to earn a certificate allowing them to remove hair.

Hair-removal businesses would need licenses; they’d have to consult with a doctor to devise protocols; and they’d need a physician available for emergency consultations. But a doctor wouldn’t have to be on hand day-to-day to oversee the work.

The rules could end a three-year turf battle between the Texas Medical Board and the hair-removal industry, which have been feuding over who should be allowed to operate lasers.

In general, the treatment is available from doctors, nonmedical technicians at independent shops, and at hair-removal chains with multiple locations.

The medical board, which licenses Texas doctors, passed a rule in 2003 that would have restricted the procedure to physicians and to people working under their supervision. But opponents sued the board and won a restraining order — effectively shelving that regulation before it was enforced.

Laser hair removal has become increasingly popular in recent years, as men and women have sought alternatives to repeatedly shaving or waxing their unwanted hair.

Prices vary broadly, but generally range from $60 for one treatment of the upper lip to as much as $500 for a lower leg procedure, said Steve Finder, the owner of a hair-removal chain and president of the Texas Association for Cosmetic Laser Education and Regulation.

Mike White, a lobbyist who represents Finder’s organization, said laser operators support the proposed regulations and training requirements. In fact, he said, his group of shop owners approached Truitt about creating a certification process in the first place.

Still, he insists that safety concerns have been overblown by doctors looking to quash competition from technicians.

“If they were doing things wrong and hurting people, they’d be out of business,” White said. “As far as we’re concerned, safety is paramount in this whole process because you’ve got to protect your clients.”

Michele Shackelford, general counsel for the medical board, said physicians wanted “someone with more in-depth medical training” to ensure that laser treatment is appropriate for each client and that it’s done properly.

Although complications from laser procedures appear to be rare, Shackelford said there’ve been enough reports of patients with burned skin to worry physicians.

“There is concern because of the number of problems that doctors have had come to them, after there’s been a botched treatment,” she said. “Is it a high number? No. If it happened to you, would you care that it’s a high number? No.”

Truitt’s legislation would go a good way toward easing doctors’ concerns, Shackelford said. But physicians still have questions about what their role would be under the proposed rules.

“We’re glad for somebody to regulate the industry,” Shackelford said. “We think it needs to happen.”

A closer look at the process

Procedure’s popularity
Laser hair removal has become one of the most common cosmetic procedures performed in the United States, second only to Botox injections. More than 914,000 laser procedures — including treatments to eliminate hair, remove tattoos, erase spider veins, and for other skin conditions — were performed in 2005. That’s up 52 percent from 2001.

How it works
Beams of highly concentrated light are used to penetrate hair follicles and destroy unwanted hair. It usually takes a series of treatments over time to get rid of the hair.

What happens
Some patients experience hair removal that lasts for years. Others need maintenance treatments to keep up the hair loss. It’s impossible to tell in advance how many treatments will be required or how long the hair will remain gone. But in general, laser hair removal works best on patients with dark hair on lighter skin.

Potential complications
Redness and swelling are normal but usually disappear within a day. Rare complications include blisters and burns, especially in people who’ve recently been in the sun or who go into the sun shortly afterward. Patients also can end up with raised red scars, or with too much or too little pigment remaining in the skin.

ePen Permanent Hair Removal System from Verseo.com

Source: MARIA M. PEROTIN – Star Telegram

You’re not allowed to apply false eyelashes in Texas without a license.

You need state credentials to braid a client’s hair. To shave a moustache with a razor. Even to shampoo somebody’s tresses.

But if you’re using a laser to zap away their unwanted hair, you don’t need a license. Just about anyone can set up shop here.

Like many states, Texas has no mandatory training, regular inspections or other regulations for laser hair removal — a treatment that uses beams of light to kill hair more or less permanently.

That could change this year, if state lawmakers approve legislation to regulate laser technicians and their businesses.

Proposed by state Rep. Vicki Truitt, R-Keller, the rules would require technicians — who don’t need to be healthcare professionals — to earn a certificate allowing them to remove hair.

Hair-removal businesses would need licenses; they’d have to consult with a doctor to devise protocols; and they’d need a physician available for emergency consultations. But a doctor wouldn’t have to be on hand day-to-day to oversee the work.

The rules could end a three-year turf battle between the Texas Medical Board and the hair-removal industry, which have been feuding over who should be allowed to operate lasers.

In general, the treatment is available from doctors, nonmedical technicians at independent shops, and at hair-removal chains with multiple locations.

The medical board, which licenses Texas doctors, passed a rule in 2003 that would have restricted the procedure to physicians and to people working under their supervision. But opponents sued the board and won a restraining order — effectively shelving that regulation before it was enforced.

Laser hair removal has become increasingly popular in recent years, as men and women have sought alternatives to repeatedly shaving or waxing their unwanted hair.

Prices vary broadly, but generally range from $60 for one treatment of the upper lip to as much as $500 for a lower leg procedure, said Steve Finder, the owner of a hair-removal chain and president of the Texas Association for Cosmetic Laser Education and Regulation.

Mike White, a lobbyist who represents Finder’s organization, said laser operators support the proposed regulations and training requirements. In fact, he said, his group of shop owners approached Truitt about creating a certification process in the first place.

Still, he insists that safety concerns have been overblown by doctors looking to quash competition from technicians.

“If they were doing things wrong and hurting people, they’d be out of business,” White said. “As far as we’re concerned, safety is paramount in this whole process because you’ve got to protect your clients.”

Michele Shackelford, general counsel for the medical board, said physicians wanted “someone with more in-depth medical training” to ensure that laser treatment is appropriate for each client and that it’s done properly.

Although complications from laser procedures appear to be rare, Shackelford said there’ve been enough reports of patients with burned skin to worry physicians.

“There is concern because of the number of problems that doctors have had come to them, after there’s been a botched treatment,” she said. “Is it a high number? No. If it happened to you, would you care that it’s a high number? No.”

Truitt’s legislation would go a good way toward easing doctors’ concerns, Shackelford said. But physicians still have questions about what their role would be under the proposed rules.

“We’re glad for somebody to regulate the industry,” Shackelford said. “We think it needs to happen.”

A closer look at the process

Procedure’s popularity

Laser hair removal has become one of the most common cosmetic procedures performed in the United States, second only to Botox injections. More than 914,000 laser procedures — including treatments to eliminate hair, remove tattoos, erase spider veins, and for other skin conditions — were performed in 2005. That’s up 52 percent from 2001.

How it works

Beams of highly concentrated light are used to penetrate hair follicles and destroy unwanted hair. It usually takes a series of treatments over time to get rid of the hair.

What happens

Some patients experience hair removal that lasts for years. Others need maintenance treatments to keep up the hair loss. It’s impossible to tell in advance how many treatments will be required or how long the hair will remain gone. But in general, laser hair removal works best on patients with dark hair on lighter skin.

Potential complications

Redness and swelling are normal but usually disappear within a day. Rare complications include blisters and burns, especially in people who’ve recently been in the sun or who go into the sun shortly afterward. Patients also can end up with raised red scars, or with too much or too little pigment remaining in the skin.

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Source: MARIA M. PEROTIN - STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER