Lumenis are a highly respected global leading brand with over 30 years experience making medical and cosmetic lasers. The Lumenis Lightsheer Desire Laser uses an 805nm diode wavelength. This wavelength is the industry’s Gold-Standard and has been clinically proven to safely and effectively treat all skin types whilst offering unparalleled treatment speed and efficiency with optimal patient comfort. The Lightsheer Desire is more than 75% faster than the average hair reduction session and also features the unique ChillTip cooling mechanism to chill the skin before and during treatment. This unique patented cooling technology increases treatment efficacy and ensures a virtually painless treatment, making the Lumenis Lightsheer Laser comparable with the Soprano Ice Laser for patient comfort.
All body & facial hair goes through 3 distinct phases of growth; Anagen, Catagen & Telogen. At any time, 85% of your hair is in the anagen phase (active growth) which is where you get best results from a laser treatment. This is because the follicle (dermal papilla) is closest to the skins surface and the melanin content of the hair is at its highest and therefore optimum hair destruction is in this active stage. The light targets the follicle, heats it & destroys the hair.
Multiple treatments are needed (between 6-8) because only hair in the active growth phase, or “anagen” phase can be affected by the laser. Time is needed for hairs in the Catagen & Telogen phases to move into the Anagen face. Effective results require treatments spread evenly. We recommend once every 4 weeks to remove facial hair and every 6-8 weeks to remove body hair.
Laser uses energy from a specific light wavelength to precisely target hair follicles (or more specifically the melanin within them). This will destroy the hair follicle preventing it from growing again. The laser we operate in our clinic, Lumenis Lightsheer Desire, uses patented cooling technology making it virtually pain free and more effective at reaching the hair follicle and the melanin.
The Lumenis Lightsheer uses a diode laser which is widely regarded as the ‘gold standard’ in hair removal and far superior to most other lasers and IPL hair removal in twickenham. After each treatment you will notice a reduction in the amount of hair growing in the specific area, until eventually, after a course of treatments, the hair will stop growing. Laser treatments are only approved by the FDA for ‘permanent hair reduction’ NOT ‘permanent hair removal’. Typically you can expect to see an 80%-95% reduction in hair growth following a course of treatment.
This varies for each individual. Normally six sessions is the minimum number required and this is why we sell packages of six. Some people may need more, particularly if you suffer with certain medical conditions such as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). During your consultation our trained therapists can assess your skin type, hair distribution, density and thickness and give you a better idea of what to expect.
Laser hair removal can be used for any colour skin type. Very dark skin types may need more treatments to achieve satisfactory results but as long as the hair is darker than the skin the laser will be able to successful target the melanin and destroy that hair. Our experienced therapists will use the appropriate settings for your particular skin type and hair colour/density
Here at the Ivy Clinic we will not carry out any laser hair removal treatment prior to a client having had a skin patch test.
A patch test is performed on a small section of the area requiring treatment in order to ascertain your skin’s suitability by ensuring there are no adverse skin reactions. A patch test also enables our therapists to pick the optimal laser settings in which to treat your skin and hair type successfully. All clients must wait a week after their patch test before booking a full first treatment.
It is extremely important that your skin is ‘free’ from a tan (real or fake) for at least 4 weeks prior to treatment. During your course of treatment you must avoid direct sun exposure (including sunbeds) and apply a daily broad spectrum SPF 30+ as UV light can cause pigmentation changes in the skin. An active tan prevents our therapists from treating you as the skin will absorb too much energy which can lead to burns and unwanted pigmentation.
