LASER HAIR REMOVAL

Thinking about laser hair removal? You’ve come to the right place! The Med Spa at Utah Cosmetic Surgery is the convenient, painless, and affordable choice for laser hair removal in the Salt Lake City area.

When laser hair removal was first introduced, it was very painful, expensive, and only patients with light skin could be treated. Things have changed! Thanks to advances in technology, it is more versatile, comfortable and affordable than ever!

The development of unwanted hair can occur for a number of reasons including:

Age

Genetics

Hormonal Changes

Certain Medications

Laser hair removal is growing more and more popular every year. This is because millions of people suffer from undesirable hair that needs to be constantly shaved or waxed. Some of the most common areas for laser hair removal include the underarms, legs, bikini area, upper lip, and back.

The technology used to remove unwanted hair is relatively simple. During the procedure, a laser is passed over the skin where the hair needs to be removed. When the pigment inside each hair follicle absorbs the laser energy, the follicles become permanently disabled.

This treatment is very desirable not only because it permanently rids the body of unwanted follicles, but because it is also only mildly uncomfortable and patients can return to normal activities immediately. Laser treatment is more effective than electrolysis because it has the capacity to remove more than one hair at a time.

Utah residents seek laser removal for several different reasons:

  • They no longer want to deal with traditional time consuming and frequently preformed methods such as shaving or waxing
  • Their skin is sensitive and prone to irritation, redness and ingrown hairs with traditional removal methods
  • Unwanted or excessive hair in certain areas causes embarrassment and lack of confidence
  • Involvement in sports such as swimming, running, body building and cycling
  • Improved hygiene

Imagine spending less time shaving and more time doing the things you love!

With the GentleLASE Pro by Candela, we are capable of treating a wide variety of skin and hair types.

Some people have heard stories of pain, injury and poor outcomes or perhaps experienced these things first hand. Laser hair removal doesn’t have to be that way!

After talking to many patients who have experienced such things in other clinics, we have gained a greater knowledge as to why these things were happening. Some of these include:

  • Patients not being educated on laser hair removal by the clinic (“No one ever told me that”)
  • Patients not being given pre- and post-care instructions
  • Undertrained/inexperienced personnel performing treatments
  • Lasers being used on patients who were not good candidates
  • Anesthetics and cooling methods were not administered or offered
  • Providers overpromised or set unrealistic expectations

We strive to make sure every patients experience is a positive one!

We want to educate and inform patients with honest answers.

Why choose The Med Spa at Utah Cosmetic Surgery for your laser hair removal?

Your safety is our number one concern

We treat each patient with the honesty and respect they deserve

We never pull high pressure sales tactics during consultations

We put our prices out for everyone to see. We don’t have anything to hide!

We will honor any legitimate written laser hair removal price quote (within 90 days from when it was written) from competitors

We offer the latest technology in laser hair removal with our Alma Soprano ICE Platinum laser platform.

This technology allows for safe, effective, comfortable treatments for all skin types on the entire body. Utilizing three wavelengths simultaneously (Alexandrite 755, 810 Diode, and 1065 ND-YAG) hairs are treated at three different depths.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR SOPRANO LASER

Laser Hair Removal Q & A

The lasers in our office have been specifically chosen because they have been proven to provide safe and effective treatments. Just like any other medical procedure, there are risks and precautions that go along with laser hair removal. Prior to treatment we will inform you of what these risks are and make sure all of your questions are answered. Adhering to pre and post treatment instructions will greatly increase the likelihood of your treatments being safe and effective. If a complication were to arise it would be addressed by Dr. Haupt or a Utah Cosmetic Surgery surgeon personally. Your safety is our number one priority. Rest assured you are in good hands when you come to our office.
The light emitted by the laser is absorbed by the pigment (melanin) located in hair follicles and hair shaft. The laser pulses for a fraction of a second, just long enough to vaporize the pigment –disabling many hair follicles at a time to eliminate or significantly impede the hair’s re-growth but not long enough to damage the surrounding skin.
Everyone’s pain tolerance is different but there is usually some mild discomfort during laser treatments. Some people describe it as a hot prickly sensation. We use cooling methods to keep the skin temperature cool and comfortable to lessen sensation. Certain areas are more sensitive than others. For those areas, we can prescribe a topical anesthetic at the time of the consultation. This topical cream should be applied at home 45 minutes before your treatment. The discomfort experienced during the short treatment time is found tolerable by most. Everyone says the results are worth it!
No, in fact the less hair on the surface the better. We want as much of the laser energy as possible to go down to the follicle where it is needed, instead of just frying what hair is visible on the surface. You will arrive to your appointment with the area to be treated shaved. You should shave 24 hours prior to your appointment. Having the area shaved will make the treatment less painful and more effective. It is very important that you DO NOT tweeze, wax, use depilatory creams such as Nair/Veet or use bleaching creams at least 6 weeks prior to your first appointment. All these methods of hair removal destroy or remove the hair by the root. There needs to be an active hair follicle in the skin for the laser treatment to be effective! Those methods are not to be used in between laser appointments either, instead you can shave as often as you like. If you desire to keep some hair in the area being treated (for example: goatee on man’s face when lasering the rest of the facial hair or landing strip when treating Brazilian area) please leave this hair unshaved and visible so the technicians can see where not to laser.
Most people generally need 8 treatments per area treated. That’s why we offer packages of 8, however 8 is not a magical number, it is just a good starting average for most people. Some people might need more than the initial 8 treatments to achieve their desired results.

Your body has three different growth cycles:

  • Anagen (active growth phase), which last up to several years. At any given time, the majority (30-85%) of our body hair, depending on the area is in this phase. During Anagen the hair has an abundance of melanin.
  • Catagen (regressive phase) last about two weeks, during which the hair stops growing but not yet shed. About 3-4% of our body hair is in this phase at any given time.
  • Telogen (resting phase) which lasts 5-6 weeks at the end of which the hair falls out and new hair begins to form. Approximately 15-70% of our body hair is in this phase at any one time.  The laser only works on hair that is in its active growth phase.  Doing the recommended number of treatments at the recommended time intervals assures treatment of as many active follicles as possible, in turn this assures the best results.
It depends on the area. Face and neck should be treated every 4-6 weeks. Underarms, bikini, abdomen, arms, back, chest and buttocks should be treated every 6-8 weeks. Legs should be treated every 10-12 weeks. Your results will be gradual and cumulative with each treatment. We all want instant results, but laser hair removal is a process, one that is well worth it!

What will I look/feel like after a treatment?

It depends on the area. Face and neck should be treated every 4-6 weeks. Underarms, bikini, abdomen, arms, back, chest and buttocks should be treated every 6-8 weeks. Legs should be treated every 10-12 weeks. Your results will be gradual and cumulative with each treatment. We all want instant results but laser hair removal is a process, one that is well worth it! 

Your skin has just experienced trauma from the laser. For most people there will be some erythema (redness) and possible follicular edema (small, raised welt like bumps). Your skin may also be a little swollen. Areas that have very thick, dark dense hair will be more prone to this. It may feel like the sensation of a sunburn. This usually resolves shortly after treatment 15-45 minutes; however, it can persist for a day or two in some patients. Use of a topical 1% hydrocortisone and cold packs post treatment can help ease this reaction. Avoid raising your body temperature, which includes exercising, hot showers/baths, or saunas for the next 24-48 hours.
No. The FDA does not allow any laser company to claim permanent hair removal. Any company that does is falsely advertising. You will have a permanent reduction. Most people will see about 70% reduction or more. Much of the hair that does grow back will be lighter, finer and slower growing. You body is always changing, new hair growth can be triggered by such things as hormonal changes, pregnancy, menopause, age, medication, disease, obesity ect. You have millions and millions of hair follicles; it is unrealistic to expect all of the hair to go away forever. We recommend coming in every six months to a year for a touch up treatment to maintain your results from your initial treatments.
Our laser is designed to treat a variety of skin and hair colors; however it is best to be as pale as you can possibly be while having laser treatments. The laser is attracted to pigment. The laser cannot tell the difference between the pigment in the hair follicle and the pigment in the skin. The laser will just heat everything “dark” up. The darker the pigment in the skin the more competition the hair has. This lessens the effectiveness of the treatment. The risk of burns and blisters is higher with recently tanned skin and darker skin types. When you are filling out paperwork we will ask you a series of questions to help determine if you are a good candidate. It is also important that spray tanning, self-tanning creams, and lotions, tanning beds and direct unprotected sun exposure on the areas to be treated are discontinued two weeks prior to laser treatments.
No. The darker the hair, the thicker the hair, the better the results. Hair that is lighter and finer in nature may need more treatments. Very fine light “peach fuzz” hair will remain unaffected.
There is not a minimum age requirement. It is common for teenage girls to receive laser hair removal treatments on areas such as the upper lip and underarms. Due to hormonal changes during puberty, we prefer patients to be past the prime of puberty prior to treatment. Generally, we do not recommend laser hair removal for young teens or children. Pain tolerance in younger patients tends to be lower, making treatments more difficult. Also since there are many hormonal changes yet to come in these younger patients their results will likely not be long lasting. If a patient is under 18, we require a parent to sign the consent forms.
As an added precaution (as there are usually many for pregnant women) we ask that you receive permission from your OB/GYN prior to laser services. We will also have you sign a pregnancy consent form. There are many hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy. These changes can affect the hair growth cycles. If you become pregnant during your series of initial treatments you can continue treatments if you wish, with your OB/GYN’s consent or postpone further treatments until after delivery. You can receive laser hair removal treatments while nursing.
Absolutely! That is one of the best and most common reasons people get laser hair removal. Laser hair removal will greatly reduce if not eliminate ingrown hairs and irritation from shaving and waxing.
Yes. This does not create a problem for the laser or the technicians. Some women do find that they are more sensitive to pain just prior to or during their period and schedule their appointments accordingly. This applies to areas besides bikini as well.
Yes, we provide Brazilian laser treatments for both female and male patients. Our technicians are experienced and professional. Receiving a Brazilian laser treatment is really not as awkward or painful as people have pictured in their mind!
We can laser the area in-between the eyebrows, the glabella, commonly referred to as the uni-brow area. We cannot precisely shape the eyebrows with laser like you can with tweezers, wax or electrolysis due to the spot size. Treating below the eyebrow also poses a hazard to the eye.

Laser Hair Removal

Pre-Treatment Instructions

Discontinue sun tanning, tanning beds, and the use of self-tanning creams/sprays for at least 2 weeks before treatment and throughout the treatment course. This will reduce the chance of skin color changes and complications. Always use SPF-30 sunscreen on all exposed treatment areas and re-apply every 2 hours throughout the day. Wear protective clothing, hats, and sunglasses, etc.
Discontinue the use of exfoliating creams (on areas to be treated) such as Retin-A and glycolic acids and other skin exfoliating products 2 weeks prior to and during the entire treatment process.
The treatment area(s) must be shaved closely and thoroughly 24-48 before each treatment session.

Do Not tweeze, wax, sugar, use depilatory creams or electrolysis as a method of hair reduction at least 4 weeks prior to your first treatment or throughout the course of your laser treatments; instead, you can shave the area.

If you have a history of herpes simplex 1 (cold sores) or 2 (genital herpes) outbreaks in the area of treatment, please let us know so that we may prescribe a anti-viral medication to take prior to you laser appointments to avoid trigging an outbreak. If you are experiencing an active outbreak at the time of your scheduled laser appointment, you will need to reschedule. We cannot treat in an area that has an active outbreak.
You should arrive for your treatment with clean skin. There should be no lotion, make-up, perfume, powder, deodorants/antiperspirants or bath/shower oil present on the skin in the area to be treated. If you have applied a topical anesthetic prior to treatment, the cream needs to be thoroughly wiped off before the start of the treatment.

Laser Hair Removal

Post-Treatment Instructions

Mild sunburn-like sensation is expected. This usually last 2-24 hours but can persist up to 72 hours.
You can apply cold gel packs or cool wet cloths to the treatment areas for 15 minutes every 2-4 hours until symptoms subside. Aloe vera gel may be applied to soothe the skin. Hydrocortisone may be applied to soothe any itching.
Bathe or shower as usual. Treated areas may be temperature sensitive. Cool showers or baths will offer relief.
Avoid aggressive scrubbing, use of exfoliants, scrub brushes, and loofa sponges until the treatment area has returned to its pretreatment condition.
Avoid sun exposure to treated areas, as well as the use of sun tanning beds and self-tanning creams.
Use at least SPF-30 sunscreen! Sun avoidance will decrease the likelihood of skin color changes.
Appearance of hair growth of stubble will continue for 7-35 days post treatment. This is not new hair growth, but the treated hairs being expunged/purged from the skin.
Hairs that were in the resting phase at the time at the time of treatment may enter the active phase in 1 to 6 months depending on the body area.

Avoid swimming, hot tubs/Jacuzzis, and excessive exercise for 48 hours or until redness resolves.

If blisters occur, apply antibiotic ointment to the areas 2 times a day until healed.
Do not pick or remove scabs or crusting; this will help decrease the chance of infection and scarring.
A non-steroidal anti-inflammatory such as acetaminophen will help to reduce discomfort. Use according to manufacturer’s recommendations.

Package of 8 Small Area Treatments

$450
  • Upper lip & chin
  • Fingers or toes
  • Navel strip
  • Areolas
  • Ears
  • Nose
  • Glabella (in between the eyebrows)

Package of 8 Medium Area Treatments

$699
  • Bikini line
  • Underarms
  • Face
  • Hands or feet
  • Neck (front or back)
  • Arms (upper or lower)

Package of 8 Large Area Treatments

$999
  • Brazilian & navel strip (female or male)
  • Legs (upper or lower)
  • Buttocks
  • Chest
  • Abdomen
  • Full arms
  • Neck (front and back)
  • Back (upper or lower

Package of 8 Extra-Large Area Treatments

$1,200
  • Chest and abdomen
  • Full back
  • Full legs
After completing 8 treatments of the same area, you qualify for “Touch Up Pricing”

Interested In Seeing Results From Our Clients?

View Our Gallery to See Before and After Results.

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Best 10 award for Plastic Surgeons 2015
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