Laser Hair Removal

Unwanted body hair is a common problem for both men and women. Traditional hair removal routines can be tedious, painful, expensive, and time consuming. And the biggest drawback of these methods?… Your hair keeps coming back. 

At Smooth Skin Laser, we offer a better option for people in Charlottesville and Central Virginia. 

Laser Hair Removal can permanently reduce unwanted hair anywhere on the body including legs, back, bikini and chest, leaving skin feeling smooth and healthy. A session takes just minutes, no matter what body part, and there is no disruption to normal activities with the procedure. Better yet, we can treat all areas of the body and all skin types. 

During the treatment, laser energy is used to target and destroy the cells responsible for hair growth, making it a far more effective method of hair removal. In fact, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Laser Hair Removal is the 3rd most performed non-surgical cosmetic treatment in the US*.

Free yourself from the constant need to shave and wax unwanted facial and body hair. We can help you to get to the root of the problem with our use of advanced laser technology for hair removal.

*15th Annual Cosmetic Surgery National Data Bank Statistics, The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 2011.
 

How it Works

To understand how laser hair removal works, it’s helpful to understand how your hair grows. Below is an overview and how a laser is uniquely able to permanently reduce unwanted hair.

 

How Your Hair Grows

Hair grows from deep within hair follicles, which are embedded in the skin. Hair does not grow continuously, but in a three-phase cycle.

Anagen Phase: This phase is where the hair actively grows which typically lasts for several months and is the best phase for laser hair removal.

Catagen Phase: During this brief phase, the hair bulb regresses and begins to shrink.

Telogen Phase: The final phase is a resting phase which lasts a few months. During this phase, the hair is released from the follicle and once complete, the hair will restart at the Anagen or growth phase. 

While the rate at which hair grows differs by individual, the length of the hair growth cycle generally depends on the type of hair. For example, the active growth phase of the hair on your head may last several years, while hair on the body has an active growth phase that may last only a few months.
 

How Laser Hair Removal Works

During laser hair removal, a laser device emits light energy that travels through the skin and is absorbed by the pigment in the hair follicle and hair shaft. Pigments are the substances that give skin and hair its color. This energy damages the hair follicle, which impairs its ability to grow. 

Hair follicles that are in the anagen, or active growth phase, have more pigment and absorb more energy, and typically respond best to treatments. For this reason, it takes multiple treatments to achieve the best results – it’s important to “catch” your hair in this active growth phase when you are receiving treatments.
 

Laser Hair Removal Procedure

During the procedure, your laser technician will guide the device over the treatment area. The hair follicles that absorb the energy from the laser will be damaged. Hairs that were present in the follicles at the time of treatment will fall out over the next couple of weeks and future hair growth will be impaired. 

Since not all hairs are actively growing at the same time, a single procedure will not treat all of the hair follicles in the area. As the follicles in the transitional and resting periods return to the active growth phase, you may notice some hair regrowth but not as thick as it was before the treatment. This regrowth will become thinner and lighter with each subsequent treatment until there is little to no hair at all.
 

What To Expect On The Day Of Treatment

We suggest shaving prior to your consultation and minimizing sun exposure if you would like to get started the same day as your consultation. 

We have three, different machines, each effective at laser hair removal for different skin types, hair density, and treatment area. At the time of your consultation, our laser technicians will determine which machine will be best to start your services. Oftentimes, our laser technicians will switch machines as you process through your laser hair removal package to achieve the best results possible.

Before your laser technician begins lasering, they may do a test spot so you can get a sense forwhat to expect during treatment. It may feel slightly like a rubberband snapping against the skin as the energy is being delivered into your skin and hair follicles. The discomfort is over almost immediately, and treatments take just a few minutes depending on the size of the area.

After the treatment, a cooling gel may be applied to your skin. Bandages and ointments are not necessary after laser hair removal due to the nature of the treatments being so minimally invasive. For a few days after your treatment, you may feel like you have a mild sunburn but can resume all your normal day to day activities immediately following treatment.

If you are a laser hair removal patient, please be aware of the following:

• Shave the area being treated prior to your appointment.
• Discontinue all waxing, plucking, and tweezing on the areas receiving treatment 6 weeks before and during your sessions.
• Discontinue excessive UV exposure, tanning and tanning beds and tanning creams on the areas receiving treatment, 4 weeks prior to your appointment.
   

Post Treatment Instructions For Laser Hair Removal

• Immediately after the treatment, there may be redness around the treatment site, which may last up to a couple days but usually subsides within the first few hours. It is normal for the treated area to feel like a mild sunburn for the first few days.
• Avoid sun exposure on the treated area and use a sunscreen SPF 45 or greater at all times throughout the course of treatment.
• Anywhere from 7-30 days after treatment, shedding of the hair may occur and this may appear as new hair growth. This is not all new hair growth, but mostly dead hair pushing its way out of the follicle.

Book Now

PURCHASE GIFT CARD

 

 

Skin Rejuvenation

Refresh your skin with PicoSure.

Achieving a more youthful appearance without the typical discomfort and downtime is now possible with PicoSure®. Smooth Skin Laser now provides this breakthrough technology to remove unwanted pigment, as well as treatment for wrinkles and acne scars. PicoSure gently delivers short bursts of energy to target problem areas. This innovative technology can help you achieve a more youthful appearance.

PicoSure is a quick and easy non-surgical, non-invasive laser skin treatment that focuses on your problem areas whether it’s brown spots, sun damage, freckles, pigmented lesions, wrinkles or acne scars, and can be used to treat many areas of the body including the chest or décolleté, face, hands, legs, and more.

Unlike lasers in the past that relied on intense heat energy, which caused pain and led to significant skin redness and downtime, this gentler treatment provides impressive results without the associated discomfort and downtime of traditional lasers.

Refresh your skin today with PicoSure’s breakthrough technology and see visibly clearer skin faster, and with fewer treatments.
 

Click here to review and download IMPORTANT PicoSure Treatment FORMS

Unwanted Pigment

PicoSure is the world’s first and only picosecond aesthetic laser for multiple aesthetic applications, including acne scar treatment, wrinkle treatment and removal of pigmented lesions. PicoSure helps provide your skin with a more youthful appearance by erasing unwanted pigment, age spots and freckles caused by sun damage faster than ever before with minimal to no discomfort or downtime.

  
 

Fine Wrinkles

As we age, that support structure within the skin begins to weaken, forming wrinkles. PicoSure uses powerful technology to improve the look of the skin by stimulating collagen and elastin production. Unlike surgical face-lifts that require long recovery times, laser treatment offers an effective and convenient alternative without the typical discomfort and downtime.

  
 

Acne Scars

Treating scars is easier than you think. PicoSure reduces the look of scars without harming surrounding skin. In just a few fast, easy treatment sessions, scars are much less visible, leaving behind clearer, more attractive skin.

  

Book Now

PURCHASE GIFT CARD

Tattoo Removal

Tattoos don't have to be permanent.  Not anymore.   

At Smooth Skin Laser, we strive to achieve optimal results for each individual client.  That's why we waited until we found the BEST way to help our clients. And we have!

Why PicoSure™?

PicoSure™ offers the fastest light delivery available (less than 1 billionth of a second). That translates into less heating of the ink and surrounding tissue.  That means less pain and less risk of scarring. Additionally, the PicoSure™ mechanical speed yields the most effective breakup of the ink for faster clearance.

• Best laser for low pain
• Quick Recovery and results
• Less Scarring
• Effective on All Areas of the body
• Effective on All Skin Types
• Effective on black, brown, green, blue and purple ink (NOTE: red, yellow and orange CANNOT be treated with our machines)

Prior to any PicoSure™ tattoo removal laser treatment, we require a one-on-one consultation with our Medical Director, Dr. Andy Macfarlan, who will evaluate skin type, age and medical history to develop a personalized treatment plan.  For the best results, treatments will often be spaced 6-8 weeks apart.

Laser treatment response time is variable. It can be as few as 3 and as many as 8 treatments depending on area, pigment intensity, age of tattoo and other factors.

Book Now               PURCHASE GIFT CARD