Laser hair reduction: No pain, only gain

My fear of subjecting my skin to electrical energy goes back to a certain ‘galvanic facial' by an overzealous therapist two years ago that left me with a toothache-like sensation for almost a week. What followed was a self-imposed blanket ban on any treatment involving ‘electromagnetic' energy on my skin, X-rays included. So you can imagine my reaction when I was asked to review a newly launched painless laser hair reduction treatment. My high state of anxiety resulted in a soothing suggestion by my editor: "why not watch a demonstration of how the new ‘painless laser machine' works and then make up your mind?" I agreed, although with some reluctance I admit. At the Kaya Skin Clinic's Dubai Marina branch, the counselling session with the clinic manager threw light on a few simple but highly reassuring facts. Firstly, undergoing laser treatment specifically suited to your skin and hair colour is the first important step. And it is the dermatologist's responsibility to ensure this match has been correctly made. So choose a reputable skin clinic before you sign up for a treatment. Secondly, new age laser hair treatment machines target only the hair follicles and not the surrounding skin tissue. Therefore, any fears that the skin may get burned or suffer any side effects are baseless. Thirdly, post-treatment maintenance of the skin, which must be clearly spelled out by the dermatologist, involves taking precautions such as not exposing your skin to heat or any strong chemicals, regular and daily use of sunscreen, avoiding sun exposure as much as possible, discontinuing the use of retinol and AHA products for a week after treatment and avoiding skin stressors such as waxing, bleaching, threading, steaming or electrolysis seven days prior to or after the procedure. Also to be avoided for a week are the use of harsh soaps, herbal essences and essential oils on the treated areas. Strenuous exercise, having a sauna and swimming are forbidden for 48 hours after the treatment. All these precautions, when observed strictly, will lead to happy post-laser benefits. Having been reassured, I volunteered for a patch test, which is the first step in determining whether your skin is suitable for the treatment. Once the test is successful, you can sign up for the full treatment, if you wish. I couldn't opt for the latter route as it would have meant incubating this review for a few months as a full treatment takes time. (Laser treatment is a drawn-out procedure with any body area requiring six to seven sessions for effective hair growth reduction, with each sitting requiring a gap of a month before the next one.) Fifteen minutes later, the dermatologist marked a three-inch by four-inch rectangle with a marker on my leg and sanitised and shaved the patch. I was asked to put on laser goggles to block out rays that might affect my eyes. The treatment I was undertaking, she explained, involved exposing the hair follicles to diode laser rays, whereby a continuous wave of low-heat laser energy accumulates in the hair follicles. This accumulation of low energy inactivates the follicle. After about six to seven such sessions, the localised area's hair follicles are all effectively inactivated. The subsequent hair growth is so fine and sparse it does not require any further treatment. The hand-held laser gun glided over my skin's surface several times and to my surprise, it was absolutely painless. As I prepared to leave the dermatologist drew up a list of dos and don'ts tailor-made for my skin for the next couple of days (no steam rooms, saunas, sun exposure, harsh chemicals.) Over the next 48 hours, I checked the patch for any signs of soreness or colour change. There was no unusual sensation. It's now been almost 20 days since I did the patch test and I'm convinced this age depilatory method is not only more comfortable, it also has no side effects. In retrospect, that galvanic facial that led to my abject fear of laser treatments was actually due more to the therapist's inexperience rather than a problem with the treatment itself.