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Even during COVID-19, non-surgical cosmetic procedures such as laser hair removal remain in high demand. While it has been commercially available for about 25-years, technology advances continue to make laser hair removal a very desirable procedure today. In fact, according to the website “American Society of Plastic Surgeons” as of 2019, it remains in the top five non-surgical cosmetic procedures, along with Botox and similar-type injections, dermal fillers, chemical peels, and microdermabrasion.
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Louis Silberman, CEO of National Laser Institute, pioneered the medical aesthetics training industry and is the largest educator in the country. Its medical spa operations see up to 3,000 clients per month. Silberman was a semi-finalist for the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2014 (prior award recipients include the founders of Google, Starbucks, and Amazon). Known for starting Health4her.com – a health and beauty retailer which became the sixth most visited pharmacy website with 500,000 visitors per month – out of his garage, Silberman has been written up in many publications.
Let’s face it: shaving is a drag, tweezing is a pain, and waxing is messy. For these reasons, medical hair removal – including the use of lasers, intense pulsed light (IPL), and electrolysis – has become increasingly popular over the past decade and, in terms of technology, it has come a long way.
But, which treatment is right for you and your clients?
LASER HAIR REMOVALLasers emit a single wavelength of light that’s concentrated and aimed at the melanin in individual hair follicles. The follicle absorbs the heat and leaves surrounding skin unharmed. Lasers are very fast, treating several follicles at once, and typically get better results than IPL. They’re considered safe for all skin types; the only drawbacks are that treatments can be somewhat uncomfortable and, technically, laser hair removal provides hair reduction, not permanent removal.
Depending on the Fitzpatrick skin type, hair color and type, and size of the area being treated, six treatments (one every four to six weeks, so that treatments occur during the hair growth stage) is the average number required, though darker skin types can require as many as 10 to 12 treatments. Laser hair removal can be performed on most areas of the face and body.
INTENSE PULSED LIGHT (IPL)Though commonly considered a type of laser, IPL is actually a broad-spectrum of wavelengths diffused at varying depths; surrounding tissue absorbs some of the light, heating up the skin’s pigment, which is why IPL can potentially cause burns or pigmentation issues on darker Fitzpatrick skin types. Because it doesn’t go as deep into the skin as lasers, IPL often requires more treatments (also spaced out every four to six weeks), but they’re typically less expensive and more comfortable than lasers. IPL can be performed on most areas of the face and body.
ELECTROLYSISThe main benefit of electrolysis is that it’s the only FDA-recognized method of permanent hair removal. The device uses heat or chemical energy to destroy the hair’s growth center, after which a fine probe is inserted into the follicle and the hair is removed with tweezers. Electrolysis typically takes multiple treatments, spaced initially about one week apart; over time, (the average is 18 months with regular treatments), they can be performed less frequently. While some say electrolysis is painful, others tolerate it well with or without a topical numbing cream. Another benefit is that it can be performed on all skin types, even light hair on light skin, because it isn’t targeting melanin. There is a small risk of scarring because the electrical current doesn’t discern between the follicle and surrounding cells.
WHO CAN LEGALLY PERFORM MEDICAL HAIR REMOVAL?This is a legitimate question, with several different answers. For laser hair removal and IPL treatments, a medical director is required to oversee the facility where the treatments are performed. For electrolysis, some states require an electrologist license, along with a certain number of treatment hours; others do not require licensing at all. For any type of medical hair removal treatments, I stand firm in my belief that every technician should be educated, licensed, and experienced, but unfortunately, that’s not always the case.
POST-TREATMENT CONSIDERATIONSWith all types of medical hair removal, clients should stay out of the sun about two weeks before and after treatments and keep skin as cool as possible after treatment, avoiding intense exercise, hot tubs, and so forth. Skin may be slightly red, swollen, or sensitive for one to two days and ice packs may be applied if desired. If pin dot bleeding occurs with electrolysis, scabs should not be picked to avoid scarring and infection.
ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONSIt’s important to think about your particular client demographics when implementing medical hair removal into the spa. These factors will help you determine the prices of treatments. Do homework by checking out your competitions’ pricing. A high-end spa can claim higher prices, as long as the client believes they are getting a good value. It has to be something that the discount establishments don’t offer. An example is offering “something for nothing,” such as a free lip or chin hair removal with the purchase of a series of treatments for a larger body part, such as the legs.
Of course, the size of your facility will determine the types of machines you can utilize. If treatment rooms are very small, there will not be space to keep a large machine in there all the time, but machines can be kept in a larger, central location and wheeled into rooms when needed.
All machines require maintenance, which is typically built into the service contracts. As far as paying for the machines, leasing and financing them are really about the same: typically, 10 to 20 percent is required as a down payment and then financed-to-own over five years.
The benefits of medical hair removal are many and the risks associated with properly performed treatments by highly trained providers are few. It’s no wonder so many spas are offering these services and why it remains one of the top five non-surgical, cosmetic procedures.
Louis “The Laser Guy” Silberman is CEO of National Laser Institute, a national, cosmetic laser and medical aesthetic training center founded a decade ago, and owns medical spas in Scottsdale, Arizona and Dallas, Texas. He is the author of “Make It Happen Online” and is a motivational marketing speaker. Silberman created the sixth most visited health and beauty website and was a semi-finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2014. Contact him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
In the world of beauty, the term “laser hair removal” has come to encompass a variety of techniques that remove unwanted hair by zapping it away with the use of a light source. When cosmetic lasers were first cleared by the FDA for permanent hair reduction in the late 1990s, it sparked a new trend in the beauty industry and brought the term “laser hair removal” into popular culture. However, not every form of light-based technology used for permanent hair reduction is actually a laser. Additionally, even within the laser category, there are different types of laser beams with different wavelengths and properties. Knowing about different types of light-based hair removal technologies, and how they work, will allow you to provide your best professional service to your clients and help them achieve the best results.