What is a hair follicle?
All hair is produced from a minuscule organ of growth, located below the surface of the skin, called a hair follicle. A terminal hair (those needing removal) follicle contains a blood supply for newly forming hair cells, associated oil gland(s) and a small muscle (seen as “goose flesh” as these muscles contract en masse). Once the cells responsible for hair growth, primarily located at the bottom of the follicle, are destroyed, the remnants of this miniature organ are absorbed by the body. No further hair growth will occur. This destruction of an individual follicle, multiplied by thousands in a given area, comprises the process of permanent hair removal.
The hair follicle is the complete hair structure which includes the bulge, papilla and hair shaft. This is the area beneath the skin which the lasers energy is focused on in order to achieve hair reduction and removal. What Can I expect During The Laser Hair Removal Treatment? Treatment will take place in your practitioner’s office. You will wear safety eyewear to protect your eyes from the laser light. Your practitioner will guide the laser to the treatment areas with a small hand piece. Each laser pulse may be preceded and followed by a short pulse of cooling spray. A treatment could take as little as a few minutes to as long as an hour, depending on the area and condition being treated. Does Laser Hair Removal Hurt? Some patients may feel a slight discomfort with each laser pulse, sometimes described like the snapping of a rubber band on the skin. This discomfort resolves quickly and is minimized by Candela’s DCD cooling. For some patients, a topical anesthetic may be used prior to
