Laser Hair Removal Explained | Safety, Side Effects, PCOS, Myths & Aftercare | Dr. Shanmuga Priya
Table of Contents:
- Hirsutism: Understanding the Root Causes
- Laser Hair Removal: A Quick and Convenient Treatment
- Does Thick Hair Make Laser Hair Removal More Painful?
- Common Hormonal Causes of Hirsutism
- The Role of Medications in Laser Hair Removal
- The Latest Innovations in Laser Hair Removal
- How Laser Works and Why Treatment Intervals Matter
- Post-Laser Pigmentation: Causes and Care
- Can Laser Be Performed on Pigmented Skin?
- Home Laser Devices vs. Professional Laser Hair Removal
- Do Men Also Opt for Laser Hair Removal?
- How Laser Helps Reduce Ingrown Hair Problems
- Planning Laser Hair Removal Before Your Wedding: What to Know
- When Laser Hair Removal Doesn’t Work: Understanding the Reasons
- Common Complications After Laser Hair Removal
- Pre-Laser Preparation: Why Shaving Matters
- Post-Laser Care: Sun Protection and Recovery Guidelines
- Can Pregnant Women Undergo Laser Hair Removal?
- Laser Hair Removal: Myth vs. Reality
Dr. Hema Sathish: Hello everyone. Today we have Dr. Shanmuga Priya who is a very well-known dermatologist. Welcome Dr. Shanmuga Priya.
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: Thank you. Thank you for the opportunity.
Dr. Hema Sathish: Well, she is a specialist in laser surgeries and laser treatments. So let’s start cracking Dr. Shanmuga Priya. Well, to begin with, I think the commonest things people come for laser, especially in India, is hair removal. So what do you think, let’s start with like what are the causes of hirsutism that is more hair growth. So you can start with that.
Hirsutism: Understanding the Root Causes
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: So it’s a very troubling situation especially for women when they have facial hair growth. So the number one reason will definitely be their underlying hormonal imbalance especially PCOD. So now they have actually shifted the name from PCOS to PMOS because it involves multiple other systems. So that being the number one and major cause. Sometimes some people have genetically prone to extra hair growth, especially in the upper lips. So sometimes we do face genetic extra hair growth, unwanted hairs. These are the two most common causes where we face them and some other endocrine abnormalities also sometimes we face excess hair growth. So the most common reason they come to us is the social stigma attached with it because as a woman they don’t want to shave their face daily.
Dr. Hema Sathish: True. But some people have it very very thick, right?
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: Yes.
Dr. Hema Sathish: And shaving also becomes ordeal because the hair is shown in spite of all that.
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: Even when they shave they still see this pigmentation and the green, grey shade which they develop immediately the day after they remove also.
Dr. Hema Sathish: Like a mean stubble.
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: Yes.
Dr. Hema Sathish: Well, during my practice, when we started, I started, that time it was so early, people used to wonder what lasers are about. I think now the awareness is quite high. But in spite of that, there are so many things they want to know, right?
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: Yes.
Dr. Hema Sathish: So, how easy is the laser hair removal?
Laser Hair Removal: A Quick and Convenient Treatment
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: Among the laser procedure, I would say that is the most easiest because it doesn’t require any anaesthetic ointment or no pain relief is needed prior. So the waiting time is less. They can directly go for lasers and even the procedure itself is very comfortable and almost there is no pain. That’s just a warm sensation and the recovery post laser is also very short. There is not much irritation or redness or there is no need for them to restrict any of the daily activities for this procedure.
Dr. Hema Sathish: And what about patients who come in with thick hair? So when it is very thick, I think the laser hurts a little more, right?
Does Thick Hair Make Laser Hair Removal More Painful?
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: Yes, definitely. The first few sessions, it is slightly more painful, but then we also grade the power based on how thick their hair is and how much they can tolerate. The next sessions when the hair becomes slightly finer we can go for higher setting so it becomes it is almost bearable only in the very hard zones where they have very thick hair they do feel a slight stench but it’s very short-lived also.
Dr. Hema Sathish: Would you like to dwell a little bit on the hormonal changes which causes the hair growth?
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: It all starts with diet because with time we are seeing this hirsutism in younger and younger individuals. Before the laser recommendation used to be that we have to treat patients from 15 and above. Even girls as young as 13 still start having thicker hair growth and then it becomes a stigma in their school. So sometimes we actually we are forced to reduce that age where we have to start treatment given their social handicap because of this hair. So it mostly starts with diet. So even in my practice from the day one before I start my session, I Make sure that I make them understand that this is not a one-way treatment I have to give my side in the form of laser which gives the best results But from their side they have to put their effort in the form of diet and lifestyle management Which is very equally important
Dr. Hema Sathish: And if there is some hormonal changes, what are the hormonal changes you generally see?
Common Hormonal Causes of Hirsutism
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: I do do a hormonal profile especially on the specific day of the cycle. We usually test for female hormones like FSH, LH and the ratio and then we look for AMH, prolactin and testosterone. Sometimes I also do thyroid profile and then if they are slightly obese and they have signs of other insulin resistance, I also check for fasting insulin levels.
Dr. Hema Sathish: So what are the medications also given during the laser? Because there are some clinics where I’ve seen that they blindly give the medicines also and quite a few medicines rather. So what is your take on that?
The Role of Medications in Laser Hair Removal
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: If at all I’m planning medicines, I definitely do a profile beforehand. And if the profile in some way suggests that they need medical treatment sometimes if it is beyond me I refer them to an endocrine specialist because right now they have categorized it to be an endocrine problem so I do refer to them to endocrinologist or a gynaecologist from my side sometimes I do give if they do have this insulin resistance I start them on metformin sometimes it does help and we have supplement based correction for hormones also before the step before starting a hormonal therapy. So I sometimes rely on that also.
Dr. Hema Sathish: Lasers have come a long way. So let’s talk about some technology in laser because I think the lasers have been changing so much. There are so many wonderful ones which have come in now. They’re very painless and very effective also effective on thin air also, right?
The Latest Innovations in Laser Hair Removal
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: So previously we used to rely on diode lasers. So there used to be a single wavelength diode laser which we have to use to target all types of hair and all skin types. But now we do get multiple wavelengths depending on the skin type and we also get a laser where there is a blend of all wavelengths in one machine. So that simplifies the procedure because we don’t have to choose a separate laser at each time. So with that single laser we can target the different types of hair. For example, hair which is very fine needs a different wavelength of laser compared to a hair which is very thick. And for a patient when we are treating, the hair also transitions to a different thing. It’s not like we have a fine laser for this set of patients and So when we start they have thick hair then they get fine hair so we have multiple technologies now in the form of the wavelengths and then also there are waves which we are using the laser differently so we can use it in different methods like stamping method and when we can do in motion which kind of changes the power in a different way to target the different areas and there are also many pain relief mechanisms which are being added to lasers like in the form of a chilled tip cooler so that the procedure overall becomes very comfortable for the patient
Dr. Hema Sathish: The laser is done only for hair removal only on the face or any part of the body also can be targeted.
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: Definitely any part of the body can be targeted. In fact, the body lasers, body hair removal and the lasers for underarm removal, they actually require less number of sessions and they give better results. And they’re also very long term compared to facial hair because they are not that much hormone based hair growth.
Dr. Hema Sathish: True, true. But when it comes to private parts or the bikini lines and also how effective is laser in those areas?
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: Nowadays still some people are requesting for that also. But I think the main challenge with it is the pigmentation of that skin.
Dr. Hema Sathish: Yeah, that is what I was coming to next.
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: Which limits the ability to which we can give the power to that area because we have to be very very cautious, we have to play on the lower side so that they don’t have too much pain and irritation and the hair is also very dense. It’s almost like a flat hair. So the amount of hair which is absorbing the laser is more. So slightly the pain level is slightly more there. So we have to start from a lower level to then build the power in the coming sessions.
Dr. Hema Sathish: So how often do you recommend these sessions, like gaps between the sessions?
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: The usual dictum is six weeks but depending on some areas like upper lip they usually have faster hair growth so sometimes we do even within a month but sometimes in body hair the hair takes a longer time to come so sometimes it extends to two up to three months also.
Dr. Hema Sathish: And facial hair also as time goes by it grows slowly. So initially…
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: The first three sessions, the session is almost spaced like this. But then after that the space between sessions starts increasing because we have to wait for the hair to come to growth phase to target that hair.
Dr. Hema Sathish: So since you said that, you know, I want you to explain how the laser works on the hair and why this time gap is given.
How Laser Works and Why Treatment Intervals Matter
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: So the laser actually works. The target for the laser hair removal which we are using is a chromophore called melanin. So the major challenge with Indian skin is our skin is also loaded with melanin along with the hair. So we have to play the wavelengths based on that. So when we do select a laser, so when we give the laser shot, it is absorbed by the melanin present in the hair, not exactly the hair as a structure. But the melanin present in the hair.
Dr. Hema Sathish: That is present more in the root of the hair.
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: And the melanin is present everywhere, but we are more concerned about the melanin around the stem cells and the root area so that when the melanin is destroyed, it creates a thermal effect there. The temperature raises, it raises, so it kind of destroys the root and the stem cells so that it decreases the potential for that hair to regrow again. It’s a very excellent mechanism and a good advance in technology actually.
Dr. Hema Sathish: So the skin is also filled with melanin and so is the hair and of course the root of the hair and the stem cells have got the maximum melanin and that is where we play with the laser around right. So now you tell me if in case something goes wrong what could be the side effects of using a laser?
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: Because previously that was what used to happen commonly when we had limited technology in lasers. The most common complication would be a skin burn because we had a common laser for all skin types, then the skin burn used to be very common. But now when we have got multiple wavelengths to treat, we overcome this problem by selecting a longer wavelength laser. So the actual action of the laser begins only after it has gone deep. Not on the skin so in that way we are avoiding skin burns but still the number one side effect we do see with laser is a slight skin burn but the thing is it is usually very minor and whatever uh slight burn or irritation that that they get that usually lasts hardly for three to four days and even then it’s easily controlled with creams so that’s not a big thing to worry about uh when you’re going for a laser treatment.
Dr. Hema Sathish: But in case if they develop some dark patches what would you advise them to do
Post-Laser Pigmentation: Causes and Care
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: The first thing is like that’s why we advise to get treatment from qualified dermatologist who is good at handling all this. And then even then after a skin burn our Indian skin is very prone for pigmentation. Any minor irritation or a burn we are not even concerned about the burn healing that heals well. But after the healing period it goes for pigmentation. So usually along with any creams we give to correct the skin irritation a sunscreen is mandatory to prevent this pigmentation and even if they do develop some pigmentation we can very well give some skin lightening creams for along with a very good sunscreen use and then this fades in a few weeks.
Dr. Hema Sathish: So, we were talking about pigmentation which comes after laser, but at times you will see patients where you know the pigmentation is already there. Either they have melasma or they have developed some complication to some other or they have some underlying skin disease itself like acid dermatosis. So, in that case how would you handle the laser?
Can Laser Be Performed on Pigmented Skin?
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: You mean laser for hair removal? Hair removal in patients or people with pigmentation. If at all it is in the same area where we have to do laser hair removal also that greatly limits our options because already when Indian skin with the deep pigmentation as we said is the challenge but when they do have excessive pigmentation it is best they undergo certain treatments to reduce pigmentation before going for hair removal. We can do but then we will be going for a lesser power with more cooling to avoid skin burns and side by side because the sessions are spaced six weeks apart i sometimes put in one session in between by three weeks to remove their pigmentation because we do have multiple options both in the form of other aesthetic procedures like seals And even we have pigmentation lasers for pigmentation that we can do some sessions in between so that we correct both the problems. But if at all the pigmentation is an area where it is not and where we are going to do laser hair removal, that depends on the patient. If they want treatment for that, we’ll be going for it. Otherwise, we can directly do laser hair reduction.
Dr. Hema Sathish: That’s quite a thing. So you have to balance it off quite well. There are so many home handheld lasers, right?
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: Yes.
Dr. Hema Sathish: So compared to that, do people do believe that using that also helps in the reduction? So why go for a professional hair removal? So what’s your take on that?
Home Laser Devices vs. Professional Laser Hair Removal
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: Obviously, any time professional hair devices in a league apart from the regular home based device. But when seeing from patients perspective, if they are going for a laser hair removal device only for their facial hair, even in the economical perspective, that is not very cost effective because the number of sessions they need for hair removal, that to a better hair removal will be less compared to investing in a very good device. But mostly they buy it to use for body hair because that is where the session cost is more. So they tend to avoid, I mean, limit it by going for an at-home device. But then all these hot comb devices are meant for mostly for a fairer skin type. It’s very difficult to treat Indian skin type and darker skin types with that. And then generally they have a lower power setting which may not be enough for most hair growths. At best it can give some reduction but the amount of reduction which we get from professional treatments is completely different and we can go for a long term and a completely better reduction with professional treatments definitely.
Dr. Hema Sathish: Yeah, but sometimes, you know, I’ve seen in professional setups also that the lasers which they use are very…
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: Sometimes out-dated.
Dr. Hema Sathish: Yes, out-dated or yeah.
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: Technology because we have very good powered devices right now. I mean, the lasers are upgrading both in the form of combining wavelengths and also in the form of… Increasing the power without damaging the skin so that gives us a very quick response when we have a good power device but that is very safe then we have very good response in a short period of time but still some people are still going on with an older races and then most of saloons and aesthetic centers which do not have doctors they mostly based their thing on these kind of lasers because they are cheaper. So they can also charge less for the sessions and sometimes patients come and ask us, I ask there the cost is very less but your cost is high. That all depends on the device and also who is operating it.
Dr. Hema Sathish: Yeah and the quality of the device and the quality of the doctor also matters. So you have to make sure that you are picking a good laser device for your procedure and a good dermatologist too. Well, do men also come for laser treatments?
Do Men Also Opt for Laser Hair Removal?
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: I have had some men asking for beard shaping mostly because they have to go to the salon and maintain that hairline. And they ask sometimes whether if they mark a line, whether we can completely remove the hair above that hairline when they’re– mostly the beard shaping, they come. And sometimes they do– some men have very dense hair on the body because now it’s a trend that the men also to be less So, instead of complete removal they come for few sessions for body to actually reduce the hair. I mean the hair from thicker it goes to slightly fine hair. So, we do not do the full set of sessions to make them completely hairless. We do selected sessions so that the hair becomes finer. That is it.
Dr. Hema Sathish: I’ve seen many men, they even develop pustules on their skin. Not only men, sometimes they have ingrowth also. It happens in women also. Especially if they have been waxing for a very long time. So in that case, ingrown hair, does the laser help?
How Laser Helps Reduce Ingrown Hair Problems
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: Yes, very much because that is going to be the first line of treatment for all kind of hair related problems like folliculitis, especially for men when they get it on the beard area. And also underarm when they get repeated nodules and pus on their underarm area. And for women when they have the strawberry skin, when the skin is like plucked appearance, so they do waxing, then the skin doesn’t tolerate. When they shave, then they have this dotted appearance even when the hair is removed. So, even then laser hair removal is very helpful for them.
Dr. Hema Sathish: So, laser is actually a boon.
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: Yes.
Dr. Hema Sathish: So, it is just that how you use it and how you pick on it. Well, it is such a fad to have laser hair removal done all over your body before marriage. I mean earlier at least it was done a lot more, but now also I think there are quite a few people doing it. So, I mean how would you recommend them to do it exactly?
Planning Laser Hair Removal Before Your Wedding: What to Know
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: They can do start the first session around that time but I would recommend at least two weeks before because when we give the session, during the session we shave the hair and we start the session and after a week sometimes the hair is shed. So only then they become It appears smooth. So we have to leave that period and also we have to account for like whatever slight irritation they might have. And sun protection is very mandatory in that period so that when they do their wedding and they’re going on a vacation, so we don’t want them to go on a sensitive skin. So usually two to three weeks before they can plan the treatment. If at all they have a longer time, it is best they do their first session six months back. So by that time they would have completed three sessions and the hair would be, the skin would be much more smoother and the hair would be much less.
Dr. Hema Sathish: So ideally for a bride, you should give it at least six months before your wedding to start with the laser treatment because that gives the time for you to heal and the skin to be softer during the marriage. So that’s a very nice thing to say because at least they know how early they should prepare themselves. Well, and one more thing is that there are many cases where you know nothing helps. They have done several lasers and nothing helps. So is it because of the refraction from the patient or it’s just that none of the laser is effective enough?
When Laser Hair Removal Doesn’t Work: Understanding the Reasons
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: I don’t think none of the there would be a scenario where nothing, no lasers can correct it. Mostly, maybe they went to a center where they didn’t choose a laser that is best for their skin and hair type, mostly based on an underpowered device or less wavelength hair. So a better device would definitely give good benefit because I’ve seen people coming like that and when I offer them laser treatment, they say we have done it multiple times, it didn’t work. So, but then still they have still given response with a good device. And the second thing would definitely be their whatever their hormonal imbalance which is causing that hair growth. If they completely ignore that and do focus only on lasers, they might get some results in the beginning, but then it plateaus off after some time. And then they never move from this starting initiating phase to the maintenance. We have to keep giving lasers at short intervals to suppress that hair otherwise their hormones make that hair grow longer. So both sides we have to see but then when we correct this definitely hair improves very well.
Dr. Hema Sathish: True. If you have to talk about complications I mean there are many complications you say no procedure comes without a complication list. So what would be the first few complications which you will see after laser treatment?
Common Complications After Laser Hair Removal
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: So obviously no one should expect any procedure to be without complication because it’s not going to cause any complication, it’s nowhere it’s going to cause any benefit also. So but the thing is the most common complications we do see with lasers is as I said some amount of skin burn which can happen but is very minor which is untreatable. Sometimes they pigment from that burn. And these are the most common complications. And the third would be not aligning to the patient’s expectations. Sometimes even after us giving us multiple times saying that this is going to take sessions, they still want faster hair reduction. So their expectation is high and the results does not match what they think. That also I consider a complication because they keep badgering us like when is our hair going to go down. These are the common things we face.
Dr. Hema Sathish: And not only that, they compare with their friends, no? And the friend might not be having any other problems. And this person who has walked in might have some other problems, underlying issues, which is the reason for the hair growth. And they would be expecting the same kind of results and feel very cheated. Yeah, true.
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: And also with underpowered devices mostly because now it’s getting this complication is becoming less frequent but previously with underpowered devices sometimes there is paradoxically hair stimulation also sometimes happens rarely. When the device is very sometimes it for the first three sessions there is a lot of suppression and suddenly from the fourth session they get some more hairs in other areas. Sometimes the hair is not thick it’s fine but it’s growing longer. They have fine and long hair instead of what they had kind of a thick and short hair. So that is one complication sometimes we face even then when they go for a good powered device and they correct that hormonal problem usually that resolves and the good cooling device also helps.
Dr. Hema Sathish: Well some people are very skeptical about shaving before the laser. Just explain why it is shaved?
Pre-Laser Preparation: Why Shaving Matters
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: So we are targeting the melanin as I said and we want the laser to go as deeper as possible and target the melanin best stem cell. So by keeping the hair longer we are giving unnecessary extra melanin competition. So the melanin in the hair which is outside that also has melanin that is also going to absorb the laser energy and it is going to reduce the energy which is going to go inside. So we want to cut the shave and cut the hair as close to skin as possible so that the energy goes directly inside and also when the hair we leave a longer hair on top and when we doing laser that hair when it absorbs a lot of laser energy sometimes the skin underneath it also slightly becomes more sensitive and burns more so it is better they shave their hair actually make sure they shave in my center so that i can see how their growth is and then we do shave it very closely and then start the procedure
Dr. Hema Sathish: Well laser doesn’t work on white hair right explain why
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: Yeah because as we have discussed the the whole point of laser working on hair is the melanin present in the hair so when that is depleted when the hair has become white there is no target in the hair for the laser to act so it’s not going to act in any way so even before starting the procedure if a person has more than 30 40 percent white hair in their face I tell them that because when all these black hairs are going down, this white hair is going to look very prominent. But then we do have other options like electrolysis to treat white hairs when it is less.
Dr. Hema Sathish: So we are going back in time for white hairs.
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: Yes.
Dr. Hema Sathish: But grey hair is a challenge.
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: Yes.
Dr. Hema Sathish: Well, after a laser is done, there is some post care which they have to take, right? And it’s not nice if they just jump into the sun also. So can you tell how long they have to take the care and how long the sun exposure should be avoided?
Post-Laser Care: Sun Protection and Recovery Guidelines
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: Because the optimal effect of any procedure depends also on the post care the person is giving. So the common post care for most aesthetic procedures including laser hair removal is the first one is the strict sun protection. So sun protection in the form of sunscreens, in the form of even a physical cover, and also better they avoid peak sun time from 11 to 2 especially in the 4-5 days immediately after the procedures and also they should not be planning beach vacations or where they are going to have a lot of UV index. So sun protection is mostly going to be the first line of post care. Next is a good liberal application of moisturizers. So these two will almost minimize any kind of minor irritation that is going to happen. The third one is sometimes we do give an extra cream to soothe their irritation so that they have to use it and if they were using any other actives before in the form of a skin lightening creams or retinol or other prescription medicine for pimples that they have to withhold for few days and they will have to start that only after 5 days or a week.
Dr. Hema Sathish: Makes a lot of sense and that’s a lot of detail actually and good details well as you say talk about post care after laser i would also like to understand what are the procedures you can do after laser and when can you start like even home scrubbing?
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: Definitely when we are asking them to stop their actives, that also should be explained to them that even a home remedy or a scrub or even an exfoliating face wash or at home peels, even that they have to stop at least for two weeks. And even the parlour facial salon treatments and sometimes even they’ll be on other skin treatments also, that too we space two to three weeks after a laser. We have to give time for that skin to recover.
Dr. Hema Sathish: So the laser might look very simple and you do not have anything to do after the laser. I mean it’s smooth right?
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: Yes.
Dr. Hema Sathish: But then it needs care and two weeks is minimum time which you have to care for it. Well, there’s one more thing. Can pregnant women do laser?
Can Pregnant Women Undergo Laser Hair Removal?
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: When you see the physics of laser, there is nothing to say that stop them from doing it. But still, we don’t want to do unnecessary procedures on any pregnant women. So usually laser hair reduction being in cosmetic procedure, we schedule it mostly not during the pregnancy, before or after it. But as such, when you see the physics of laser, there is no radiation going in. There is nothing to say that this is contraindicated because it’s not going to affect the mother or the baby in any way. But still we usually we don’t schedule because we don’t want them to go through these kind of excessive unwanted procedures during the pregnancy.
Dr. Hema Sathish: True, true. And not only that excessive unwanted procedures for varied reasons.
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: Yes.
Dr. Hema Sathish: And apart from that pigmentary changes. In pregnant women is so high and suddenly they will come up with something new.
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: Sometimes we cannot deny all procedures also because they are sometimes very much concerned with lot of pigmentation and lot of pimple flare going on in the skin. We sometimes offer milder alternatives which they can do but the aggressive I mean the step by step approach which we usually do we do not go by. We go for a milder procedures or a milder actives.
Dr. Hema Sathish: So now let’s bust some myths So myth number one is laser heroin can cause cancer. Such a common question.
Laser Hair Removal: Myth vs. Reality
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: Even with any lasers they ask like, I mean younger, the child is very young, can they do it? Whether it’s going to cause a long term issue or cancer? Definitely not because laser as such is only light energy. It’s not an ionizing radiation. So that means that any radiation only when it penetrates to a cell, it is causing DNA damage or mutation. Only then we have to think about the possibility of… Going for a cancerous change, but here it is purely light energy, especially whatever light we are already exposed day by day, like the basic visible spectrum of light that is the same light which is used in laser, only the mechanics differ.
Dr. Hema Sathish: The mechanics differ and it’s amplified light.
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: Yes, amplified and it’s very like coherent and concentrated only that but it’s basically just light. So other than causing a superficial skin burn, it’s not going to cause any kind of damage to skin. Whatever effect is only thermal mostly, it’s not a DNA damage. So obviously there is no risk of skin cancer or anything going on with lasers.
Dr. Hema Sathish: That’s very well answered a question. Laser hair removal is permanent after one session.
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: Definitely not because even when they do multiple sessions, we never label it as a permanent hair removal. It’s more of a long-term hair reduction that is the more accurate term to be used with laser hair removal.
Dr. Hema Sathish: Laser hair removal doesn’t work on Indian skin.
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: I think we discussed this before.
Dr. Hema Sathish: I know.
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: The technology has come a long way. It’s no more the scenario. There are many new lasers which are working very well in Indian skin.
Dr. Hema Sathish: Laser hair removal can cause infertility.
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: This fear is stemming from the same area where this is going to cause some deeper or cell damage on when we are doing multiple sessions something is accumulating inside. Nothing of that sort is happening because this is not going to penetrate anywhere above this skin. So the penetration is completely limited to the skin and hair surface. So no deeper penetration is happening.
Dr. Hema Sathish: So it doesn’t damage any other cells. Yeah. Salons can also do lasers very safely.
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: Actually, we have seen multiple videos circulating online where the salon people are doing these lasers and they are posting videos. When we see they are not even following the basic eye care which is needed for a laser. Because that’s going to be the number one step. When we think about laser damage, the only thing that can happen apart from a skin burn is eye damage so that is the first thing both the person who’s doing and the person who’s undergoing laser they have to have ocular protection so this kind of concept comes from understanding the mission and how it works so that should definitely be handled by a professional a salon is never going to give i mean consider all these facts for before selecting a laser for you.
Dr. Hema Sathish: And above all the results also are not great enough.
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: Because they never invest in a very good device in the first place because that’s going to be very expensive initial investment.
Dr. Hema Sathish: And as a dermatologist, I always feel that even if they invest in good equipment, the problem is the quality of the laser is we can select more.
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: Yes, because we are treating patients as a whole. We don’t want one cheap investment to ruin our patients’ skin. So we are more concerned because we are treating them as a whole, as a person, along with other conditions. So definitely we should go for a better device.
Dr. Hema Sathish: True, true, very true. Laser hair removal is extremely painful.
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: Definitely not especially in the current scenario because the wavelengths are better they are targeting more only on the hair and sparing the skin and we have very good cooling technologies that is making this overall procedures very painless.
Dr. Hema Sathish: You shave before you do the laser right so that can cause thicker hair growth.
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: That is a myth that’s going on for a long time. Because a method of hair removal is purely personal. For laser, we do have to shave. But that doesn’t influence hair growth per se in any way, because hair grows in cycles irrespective of the method we are going to shave it. So when we are going to shave it, we are cutting the hair at its maximum width. So when the hair is again growing from where we have cut off, it looks like the hair is thicker. But the thing is we have cut it at its thickest. So it is appearing thick. It is only an appearance but it doesn’t affect the way hair grows. So that is just the way it looks.
Dr. Hema Sathish: And some people believe that if you do hair removal with laser, then more hair grows later on.
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: Then that should be a technology which is going to help very much in other area.
Dr. Hema Sathish: I know.
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: Because currently we are looking for a technology that is going to make your hair grow what we have right now is a technology which can reduce hair growth so that is not going to happen unless your sessions are two spaced and your natural growth is coming about and your PCODs is like hormones are going on a imbalance but other than that that is not happening the laser hair reduction happens very much with every session that the hair reduces a lot.
Dr. Hema Sathish: So wonderful Dr Shanmuga Priya it was very nice having you over and that was lot of little nitty gritty details on just laser hair removal thank you.
Dr. Shanmuga Priya: Thank you.
