Laser Hair Removal

bikebarbie

Hi
Im considering LHR on my son.
Is there any age restriction?
How do you choose a reputable clinic? What accreditation/qualifications/registration is it best they have?
There is so many places to go and I intend to visit 2 or 3 to see what kind of initial advice and get some general feel but I most importantly I need to make sure that they are reputable.
Thanks

Alisha2008

As far as I know lhr does not work very well on men, or at least not as good as women... I went a couple of times to Skin clinics and was quite happy with their service, but I suggest you get several opinions before making a decision.

bikebarbie

thanks I wasnt aware of that!!

suki1964

I would think he would need to be past puberty before any reputable company even considered it

You might want to look at some of the Transsexual/transvestite sites regarding hair removal in men ( not suggesting your son is btw )- they are a wealth of info on the best hair removal methods for men

catflea

Sorry to necropost slightly....

Alisha, LHR works well on any hair subject to certain conditions. IPL (which is often called laser) is not as effective on "terminal" hair as "velous" hair. It still works, it just needs more sessions. The two are often confused.

Terminal hair is that which has been exposed to testosterone in such a manner that the hair is denser in terms of follicles and generally thicker and coarser than velous hair.

Velous hair is present in both sexes, normally being the body hair that we all have (women still have chest hair etc, but its often so fine that its not noticed or just breaks when under clothes or washed) Terminal hair is generally found in male facial hair and in the pubic area.

The other thing with laser is that it works best on light skin and dark, coarse hair as it targets the melolin pigment in the hair to carry the energy into the root of the folicle and destroy it. Multiple sessions are required as it is only effective on hair in the anagen phase of the growth cycle where the follicle is actually connected to the hair root. Approx 1/3 of hairs are in this phase at any one time.

You havn't told us how old your son is, but in order to provide laser any certified practictioner will require that the client is of at least 18 years of age. Laser before puberty would not have the desired effect anyway as when that testosterone hits follicles that lie dormant (and therefore cannot be zapped) become active so it would be a waste of time and money.

Also, depending where on the body you are zapped, laser HURTS. I can certainly testify to that as I'm on a program of treatments at the moment.

As for qualifications etc, I don't believe that there are any specific certificates that are required apart from a class 2 laser certificate (i.e training in how not to zap people in the eyes) but there are qualifications and certifications available, so ASK. Ask what type of laser they are using and if they can't tell you (other than the make/model of the machine) walk away. My practitioner uses an Alexandrite laser.

M.Holloway

The laser used at the clinic I work in is generally accepted as the most versatile.

It's the ND:YAG laser, this works on darker skin types (V and IV) and is also longer-lasting and has a greater reduction in hair as opposed to IPL or Diode.

In terms of qualifications our nurse practitioner has to be qualified and certified as the ND:YAG laser is medical/NHS grade. Best to give them a call if you want all the details.

You have to be 18 years or older (possibly 16 with parents consent), although if you went through one of our doctors for a consultation you could get it done that way at any age.

I would avoid IPL as it is 1. quite ineffective and 2. only requires a days worth of training!