Dallas Laser Hair Removal - Q & A

Laser hair removal is the best and easiest way to remove unwanted hair. At Dr. Malik's office, our medical aestheticians are experienced and provide safe and effective treatments. Listed below are commonly asked questions and answers.

Q: How does the laser hair removal work?

A: The laser energy is absorbed by the dark pigment in the hair and transmitted down the hair shaft into the hair follicle where it destroys the growth center of the hair. The hair in active growth phase are most susceptible to destructive effect of the laser. At any given time, about 10-15% of hair are in active growth phase at any part of your body

Q: What options do I have for embarrassing facial or body hair?

A: If you have unsightly facial or body hair, you have several options:

Shave, wax, bleach, cream depilatory, electrolysis, laser hair removal, snd of course you can always choose to do nothing

Most of our patients with unwanted hair have tried one or multiple other options before they consider laser hair removal and have been very happy with the results of the laser hair removal.

Q: How popular is the laser hair removal treatment?

A: Over the last decade, laser hair removal has shown a 340% increase.Laser hair removal is one of the MOST commonly requested treatment at our Southlake cosmetic skincare center by men and women.

Q: What areas can I get treated by the laser hair removal treatment?

A: Any area with unwanted hair on your body can be treated with the laser hair removal. Face, neck, outside the ear, underarms, bikini, back, stomach, legs, arms chest are some of the most commonly requested areas for treatments at our Dallas laser hair removal clinic.

Q: Is laser hair removal painful?

A: Generally laser hair removal is very well tolerated by most patients without any local anesthetic. The amount of discomfort from laser hair removal depends on the color of your skin, color and density of the hair and the area being treated. Patients usually describe it as sensation of “rubber band zap” on the skin. At Naila Malik MD we use a cool gel and ice packs to reduce the discomfort for the more sensitive areas like underarms, bikini and upper lip

Q: How long does it take to have a laser treatment done?

A: The treatment time depends on the area being treated. At our Dallas laser hair removal center we treat the areas with two passes for better results IF there is no adverse skin reaction and the procedure is well tolerated by the patient. Bikini or underarm areas usually take around 15-20 minutes. The upper lip or chin may take as little as 5 minutes. Full back, legs take the longest, 30-40 minutes each.

Q: Will I have any down time after my laser hair removal treatment?

A: No. You may have mild redness and occasionally there may be mild sunburn like appearance after laser hair removal treatment. You can apply sunscreen and makeup right after the treatment and go back to work or your social gathering .

Q: What is a typical laser treatment session like?

A: We ask all our patients to shave the treatment area the night before their laser hair removal treatment for best results. We will protect your eyes with protective goggles during the laser treatment. We apply cool gel and ice packs to the treatment area. After finishing the laser treatment, we clean the gel and have you apply sunscreen for the exposed areas.

Q: I just had waxing done last week, how long do I need to wait before a laser treatment?

A: We recommend you wait about 4-6 weeks after waxing or plucking before your laser hair removal treatment. You can shave hair before your laser hair removal session.

Q: I have ingrown hairs, will laser hair removal help my condition?

A: Yes. Laser hair removal is an excellent way to manage ingrown hair . Few sessions of Laser hair removal reduce the density of hair and the diameter of individual hair resulting in a significant reduction in incidence and severity of painful ingrown hairs.

Q: Why is more than one treatment session needed for laser hair removal

A: Hair growth has cycles; a resting cycle, and an active growth cycle. The hair removal laser can only destroy the hairs in active growth cycle. The laser hair removal treatment sessions are scheduled to coincide with your hair growth cycles for best results, every 406 weeks apart depending on the area of your body being treated.

Q: How many treatments with the laser method can I expect to have?

A: Most people can usually expect at least 6-8 treatment sessions and then continue maintenance treatments if needed for more stubborn hair.

Q: Can you guarantee permanent removal of hair after my laser hair removal treatments?

A: Unfortunately we cannot promise no regrowth of hair after ANY laser because there are so many variables that cause hair to regrow; individual  genetics, hormonal variations, any medications, presence of any medical conditions etc.
Most individuals get 80-90% hair reduction with a series of treatments (between 6 to 10 treatments) and can maintain the results with touch up treatments every so often (one to two years) depending on individual response.

Q: Can laser hair removal be done in patients with African-American skin?

A: Yes. Darker skin is more likely to get burned with the laser and should only be treated by an experienced technician. About 30% of our laser hair removal patients have dark skin and we typically lower the laser settings to prevent burning which means they may need extra sessions for adequate hair removal. For some high risk patients, we may recommend a test spot before actually starting a full session to assess skin reaction. Your safety and comfort is paramount to us and we take that into consideration for all of your treatments, even if takes longer to get the desired results. At our Southlake and Dallas laser hair removal clinics, we treat Fitzpatrick skin types I through V . We do not treat  Fitzpatrick skin type VI for laser hair removal at either location.

Q: Can patients with blonde or grey hair get laser hair removal?

A: No. Since the laser is picked up by the dark pigment in the hair , blonde or gray hair will not be affected with the laser and we do not recommend this treatment for gray or blonde hair.

If you are bothered by unsightly hair, please call our office 888-210-9693 for an appointment.