The desire to have smooth skin without excess hair on the body makes women resort to many procedures. This is shaving hair and treating it with a depilatory cream, as well as salon procedures, for example, those during which an alexandrite laser is used. After the first session, the hair does not grow for a month, then the procedure is repeated. Each time the growth of vegetation slows down, and the hairs become thinner.
What is an alexandrite laser
This method of getting rid of unwanted hair is familiar to many ladies. The first hair removal equipment based on artificially grown alexandrite appeared in the USA in 1997 and was approved by the FDA.
Alexandrite laser is an opto-quantum generator with high power and a wavelength ranging from 700-820 nm. It is the most penetrating of all lasers in terms of its speed. It has an infrared radiation spectrum. Its pulse duration is 2-30 ms. The main emitter is alexandrite enriched with chromium.
Suitable for people with I-III skin phototype. Capable of providingimpact on IV-VI phototype. The laser procedure is painful and requires local anesthesia.
Currently, procedures are also carried out with an alexandrite-neodymium laser. Unlike its predecessor, it has two types of radiation: neodymium and alexandrite. It combines the lengths of two rays, due to which there is a more gentle effect on the dermis. Used on particularly sensitive areas, areas with gray or blond hair and tanned skin.
Operation principle
Alexandrite laser acts pointwise on melanin (dark hair pigment), resulting in the destruction of the structure of vegetation on the body.
Immediately before the procedure, the specialist assesses the condition of the hair. He looks at the depth of their occurrence, determines the color and length. These indicators influence the choice of radiation intensity. The laser, penetrating to a predetermined depth, destroys the hair follicle, while not heating the skin around and does not cause burns. The hair evaporates before the eyes. A plug forms at the site of the follicle, which prevents further growth of vegetation on the body. After this procedure, the hair does not grow for 1-1.5 months, then a second session is required.
Laser hair removal with an alexandrite laser acts on an area of up to 2 cm², which makes it possible to treat fairly large areas of skin in a short time. The average duration of the procedure is 35-60 minutes. Modern devices are equipped with a skin cooling system, which makes this event quite painless andcomfortable.
With the help of an alexandrite laser, you can not only remove hair, but also remove vascular lesions of the epidermis, pigmentation, and rejuvenate the skin. This method can be used by both men and women. The procedure has minimal side effects.
Indications
Alexandrite laser hair removal has certain indications and contraindications. So, the recommendations for the procedure are:
- Excessive growth of vegetation in the face and neck area.
- Prone to ingrown body hairs.
- Sensitive skin that is irritated by shaving and other waxing methods.
- Dark hair on fair skin.
But Alexandrite laser hair removal has contraindications. Absolute include:
- inflammatory processes and ulcers on the skin;
- herpes;
- diabetes mellitus;
- malignant and benign formations;
- tanned and swarthy skin;
- infectious diseases in the acute stage;
- pregnancy and breastfeeding period;
- presence of blond, gray and red hair in the treated area.
In addition, laser hair removal is not performed if patients have varicose veins, there are numerous warts, moles and age spots.
The procedure is also not performed in the case when there are injuries, cuts and abrasions on the skin, respiratory viral diseases. Allergy is prohibitedstage of exacerbation and hormonal disorders. Experts do not advise doing the procedure with poor tissue regeneration and during menstrual bleeding.
Consequences of the procedure
Laser hair removal with an alexandrite laser in Moscow, as well as in other regions, is performed only in salons. The procedure rarely causes side effects, although from time to time there are negative consequences in the form of:
- burns that occur due to the work of an unqualified specialist and an improper cooling system in the device;
- folliculitis - if a person suffers from excessive sweating, as well as in the first days after the procedure when visiting a sauna or bath;
- allergies - it manifests itself in the form of dermatitis, urticaria or itching. A similar effect is caused by an anesthetic cream and cooling gas;
- herpes - occurs in people who have been ill with this disease;
- disturbances in the functioning of the visual apparatus. As a rule, it is photophobia, partial loss of vision or conjunctivitis. Occurs during epilation in the eyebrow area, if the laser hit the mucous membrane of the eye and the patient refused to wear glasses.
- hyperpigmentation - it appears on tanned skin a few days after the procedure. Sometimes it is formed when the rules for protecting the skin from the sun in the first days after epilation are not followed.
Advantages and disadvantages
Alexandrite laser Candela belongs to a new generation of devices. Acts efficiently, gently and harmoniously. It, like other modern devices, delivers maximum comfort to its patients and at the same time has the following advantages:
- Getting rid of hair on the body.
- No special preparation period.
- Versatility. Suitable for all skin types, both women and men.
- Removes blonde hair and fluff.
- Won't harm or leave marks on skin.
- Can be used in any, even the most sensitive area.
- Provides quick and comfortable treatment.
- The result is visible after the first session.
But this method of hair removal is not for everyone. People with dark skin and light red hair may not get the result they expected. In addition, many people cannot afford laser hair removal, especially if you have to remove hair over a large area, for example, on the legs or chest.
To completely stop the growth of vegetation, you need to do up to 10 procedures. This is due to the fact that the hair on the human body is at different stages of growth, and only 5-15% are in the active phase. The remaining hair follicles are inactive and are not affected by the laser. Between sessions it is recommended to take a break of 1-2 months. In addition, if local anesthesia is not used, quite severe pain can occur, especially in the sensitive area.
Steps of the procedure
Laser hair removal procedure is divided intomultiple steps:
- Preparation.
- Work in progress.
- Finishing.
At the preparatory level, two months before the procedure, all activities that injure the hair follicles are excluded, that is, the hair cannot be plucked and removed. 14-30 days before laser hair removal, you should not stay outside without a sunscreen, as epilation is not carried out on tanned skin so as not to cause skin pigmentation.
To prevent burns, hair longer than 2 mm is shaved or trimmed. A week before the cosmetic event, alcohol tonics and lotions are not used, and deodorants and other cosmetics are canceled on the day of the procedure. To reduce the pain threshold, epilation is carried out a week before or after the menstrual cycle. Immediately before the session, the specialist examines the work area, studies the color and thickness of the hair, the client's phototype, skin sensitivity to the sun and selects the most appropriate parameters for epilation. Some doctors test the epidermis for laser exposure.
One hour before the procedure, painkillers are applied to the skin. During the procedure, special goggles are put on the eyes of the specialist and the patient. The session is carried out on thoroughly cleansed skin. The cosmetologist sends pulses to the area with excess vegetation, between which the skin cooling system works, causing an anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect.
During the procedure, there may be a slight burning sensation, pain or tingling in some places. Most of the hair falls off immediately aftersession, and some continue to hold on for about 7-10 days. The next treatment is performed when hair grows from inactive follicles that were dormant during the previous treatment.
Finally, an anti-inflammatory and antiseptic agent is applied to the epidermis to prevent irritation.
In order to completely remove hair in the facial area, 4 to 8 procedures are required, for the bikini area - 3-5 sessions. If there are hormonal disorders, then the effectiveness of the event may be reduced, therefore, before proceeding with hair removal, you need to normalize the hormonal background.
Alexandrite or diode laser is better?
A variety of lasers are used for hair removal, and women often face the question of which one to prefer:
- ruby, with a wavelength of 694 nm;
- neodymium, its frequency range reaches 1,064 nm;
- alexandrite (755 nm);
- diode (810 nm).
Removal of vegetation on the body occurs due to the selective absorption of laser radiation by the tissues of the human body. By releasing it onto the tissue, the laser acts only on melanin and does not harm the skin. The penetration depth of the diode apparatus is higher than that of the alexandrite and reaches 4-5 mm. Therefore, the first laser is much more effective on the hair follicle than the second.
The safety of the procedure for an alexandrite laser is higher than that of a ruby laser, but lower than that of a diode one. That is, the probability of getting burned on the diodelaser is lower than on alexandrite, especially if the procedure is performed by an inept doctor. In addition, the diode can operate at a higher pulse power without the risk for the patient to get burned. On alexandrite, a procedure with such power will be unsafe.
The diode apparatus is more successful than the alexandrite one in dealing with the problem of ingrown hairs. Can be used to remove unwanted hair on tanned skin. There are no restrictions before and after the procedure.
The diode laser is more suitable for women who like to spend a lot of time in the solarium and in the sun, and those who do not want to burden themselves with additional care and use sunscreen. If a lady does not like to sunbathe, has dark body hair and fair skin, then she can safely choose alexandrite.
What to choose - a diode or alexandrite laser - the patient decides based on their personal preferences.
What not to do after the procedure
Is the alexandrite laser so good? Reviews of women say that it helps to get rid of unnecessary vegetation for a long time. The device should be used when the skin is well prepared for the procedure. To prevent swelling and redness, immediately after the session, a drug is applied that relieves irritation. Over the next days, the skin is softened and nourished with creams in every possible way. If a burn occurs, then it is treated with Bepanthen, Panthenol ointments, etc.
In addition, after epilation with an alexandrite laser, you should not:
- sunbathe;
- visit a bath or sauna;
- use antibiotics, hormones,antipsychotics and other medications;
- remove burns yourself;
- going out without sunscreen.
Immediately after epilation, hyperemia may occur, which can last up to 24 hours. If a non-standard situation arises, you must urgently seek medical help.
The doctor may recommend regenerating and anti-inflammatory drugs. At first, the skin can push dead hair to the surface, this is not an increase in vegetation growth and you should not worry in this case. Regrown hairs will be removed in the next session.
Do not wet the hair removal area. Also, on the day of the procedure, it is forbidden to use all kinds of cosmetics.
Cost
Alexandrite laser in Moscow is not a cheap procedure. So, the treatment of two arms from the hand to the elbow will cost 4500-6000 rubles, two arms completely from the palm to the shoulder from 6000 to 12000 rubles, hair removal in the armpits costs about 7000-30000 rubles. The bikini zone will cost women 1000-25000 rubles. The price range is large. The cost of the event depends on the salon, the device, the area of the treated surface, the complexity of the work and other factors in which the alexandrite laser was used (epilation).
Moscow offers this procedure in many clinics, but the most popular are: On-Clinic, Deltaclinic, SM-Clinic, Miracle Doctor and Grad-Clinic.
In the regions, this service is somewhat cheaper, but to achieve the desired effect, you still have to pay a lotmoney.
Alexandrite laser (epilation): reviews
Opinions about the described procedure were very different. Women say that during the session, there may be some pain, and in some cases it is necessary to resort to local anesthesia. And after epilation, there is a slight irritation, which, however, quickly disappears due to the action of special creams.
Most say that after 3 sessions the amount of vegetation on the body decreases, and the hairs become thinner. A complete course of activities allows you to get rid of unwanted hair forever.
Some patients say that real results require years of hard work and a lot of money, as each session is paid separately and is not cheap. This laser does not work on light hair and can make it dark and coarse. In addition, some ladies found the procedure very painful.
Alexandrite laser hair removal is an effective procedure, but it is not suitable for everyone and does not help to get rid of hair immediately. For an optimal result, you need to be patient and visit a beautician regularly, it is desirable that the same specialist does all the procedures.
