ADVERTORIAL: THE SMOOTH ADONIS LOOK

When last have you seen a gorgeous male model – advertising some fancy watch, cologne or anything else desirable – who had any body hair at all?

Despite a resurgence in the more natural look, the smooth hairless Adonis still seems to be the standard for many guys. So, if you have unwanted hair that you’d like to get rid of, now is a good time to consider permanent hair removal with laser therapy.

The best results are achieved when the skin is not tanned so do it before you hit the beach or pool deck. Unfortunately, laser treatment is not effective on white or grey hair, but the staff at a Skin Renewal clinic will offer other alternatives.

Laser hair removal uses an infra-red light to target the germ cell above the hair follicle and hair pigment must be present for the laser to be effective. An average of three to ten visits may be needed as hair grows in phases and hair in the resting phase cannot be removed.

Hair in the active phase is ideal for removal because of the pigment in the follicle bulb, this being the target of the light. It could happen that in a single treatment only about 30% of the hair can be removed because only sufficiently pigmented hair can be targeted and destroyed.

The most common areas that are treated are the chest, back, shoulders, neck, tummy and buttocks.

During treatment there is some discomfort, but it’s not considered painful, unless you are an absolute baby, so show a bit of macho and you will soon get used to the feeling. If girls can do it, so can you!

An additional irritating development that can be treated with laser therapy are those little spider veins and red spots that appear on one’s face or body. When you first start noticing these, a slight tan would make them hardly noticeable. Unfortunately they are relentless, will not be ignored and soon will demand attention.

CoolGlide Excel™ Laser

The CoolGlide Excel Laser was the first YAG laser cleared by the FDA to permanently reduce hair of people of all skin types (Fitzpatrick I – VI), even when skin is tanned. The best results are however obtained on un-tanned skin. People suffering from ‘barber’s rash’ or ingrown hair can also be treated with this laser. For three years running it was nominated in the USA as the best and most diverse hair removal laser for dark skin types.

ProWave™ Laser

The ProWave™ laser hair removal treats skin types I-IV over bigger areas of the body, such as the back and legs. The settings can also be changed in order to optimise treatment for each person individually.

Facial hair

Facial hair is traditionally very difficult to treat as it is hormone dependent and multiple treatments are needed. White and light coloured hair are the most difficult to remove and grey hair cannot be treated at all. If skin is dark or tanned, additional treatments may be necessary.

For the facial area, especially ingrown hair, treatment is always a bit more conservative to ensure the best results. Lasers can also treat unwanted small and large facial veins up to 4mm in diameter. These can be treated in just one or two treatments, but for more stubborn veins it may be necessary for an extra session or two.

Although there is some discomfort, ice and massage is used during the procedure to minimise this. Our faces are more sensitive and tender but if necessary a topical anaesthetic can be used.