What are reasonable expectations of laser hair removal procedure?
To be considered successful, we expect approximately 85 -95% of the unwanted hair in the treated area to be reduced or eliminated. We have the best laser currently available for laser hair removal, but even our laser cannot remove white or gray hair. In this case we use electrolysis. Hair removal lasers need a target to be effective; the target for hair removal is the melanin (pigment) located within the hair follicle 1.5 mm below the surface of the skin. Because white, gray or very blond hair has very little if any pigment, people with this color hair cannot be successfully treated with any laser available today. It is imperative, however, that patients understand that a series of treatments are considered necessary for laser hair removal to be effective in the long term. Hair can only be removed, by laser, when it is actively growing and only about 30% of hair in any one area of the body is actually growing at any one time. Repeated treatments must be done at various time intervals,
