Q&A – Laser Hair Removal

Article medically reviewed by Dr. Gavin Chan

Templestowe Lower, Berwick and Beaumaris Clinics

Dr. Gavin Chan, MBBS, General Registration (MED0001175745), founder of the Victorian Cosmetic Institute, began offering cosmetic medical treatments in 2004. Formerly a trainer for cosmetic pharmaceutical companies, Dr. Chan currently concentrates on offering ongoing training to cosmetic doctors at the Victorian Cosmetic Institute. He ensures that all doctors stay updated with the latest procedures and methods in the cosmetic industry. Read More

‘I want Laser Hair Removal, but I’m a bit nervous that it will hurt. Can you please explain more about the process?’

Nerves are perfectly normal, most people are a little uneasy when considering trying a new treatment. We understand this and will give you all the information you need to be able to make a calculated decision.

The process is fairly straight forward: When you first arrive for your treatment your nurse will outline the consent form, the general process and the risks involved. This is a great time to ask any questions you may have and ward off any concerns.

There are multiple factors which determine the wavelength of the laser which will be used in your treatment, these include: skin type, whether you burn or tan easy, your pain threshold and the number of sessions already completed.

It’s hard to say what your pain threshold will be for any treatment. With this in mind the nurse will take it slow to begin with until you become comfortable with the new feeling you are experiencing.

The feeling resembles someone flicking an elastic band on your skin in a fast repetitive motion. The discomfort is usually tolerated well by most patients. During this process we judge whether the treatment is working on the principles that we can smell the hair burning, we can see the hair reacting and if you listen very carefully you can hear the zap on the hairs. An underarm is literally done in a couple of minutes if the person can sit through the process.

The actual Laser treatment is a fast treatment but we ensure you are feeling completely fine before you leave the consult. This is done by providing icepacks and aloe vera gel until one is ready. As a result of the treatment you may experience redness (please see aftercare).

Once the treatment has been completed we then log into the computer the whole process so next time you come in the nurse already knows what you did the previous visit.

At the next visit we will log your post experiences. This involves answering a series of questions such as, when did hair start falling out? How long did the redness last? Did you experience any soreness? These questions allow us to know what to expect in performing supplementary treatments.

To achieve successful long-term results usually requires 8-10 sessions, every 4-8 weeks.

And of course we are available 24 hours a day on 03 8850 0655 if you have any questions on Laser Hair Removal or any other treatments offered at our clinics.

By submitting your question via our Facebook page, you too can have your questioned answered in one of our upcoming blogs.

Stay tuned in the coming weeks for some before and after photos in a step by step.