The Science Bit

There are two major types of hair: terminal hairs and vellus hairs. Terminal hairs are thick, long, and usually pigmented with melanin. These include the hair on the scalp, underarms, genitals, and eyebrows. Hair from the chest, back, legs, and arms may also be terminal hair. Vellus hairs or “peach fuzz” are short and non-pigmented hair and can be found in most other areas of the body and face. Lasers target terminal hairs with the pigment melanin.

There are three phases of hair growth: anagen, catagen, and telogen. Lasers can only target the anagen, or active, phase of the growth cycle. Anywhere from 20% to 85% of hair is in the anagen phase at any given time. This varies with different areas of the body. Regression begins in the catagen cycle. During the telogen stage, the follicle is “dormant” and prepares for the development of new hair. Because the laser can only treat hairs in the anagen phase, several treatments will be necessary for the desired result.

Lasers remove hair by the process of selective photothermolysis. The light energy from the laser is transferred to thermal energy in the hair follicle. The laser targets melanin, or the pigmented regions of the follicle. When the thermal energy, or heat, is absorbed by the melanin in the cell structures (namely the bulge and papilla) they are destroyed. The LightSheer laser also comes with a cooling mechanism that prevents damage to the surrounding cells

The highly respected LightSheer has contact cooling and produces a larger beam of highly concentrated light. The light emitted is well absorbed by the pigment located in the hair follicles (melanin). During the hair removal procedure, the laser pulses for a fraction of a second, allowing the hair to absorb the light and heat up. As the hair follicle heats up, the hair shaft and bulb are damaged. This significantly reduces the hair’s ability to re-grow, and results in permanent hair reduction over time.

Our advanced technology has been proven to permanently reduce the number of re-growing hairs following each treatment. Once the course is finished a top up session is sometimes required every 1 - 2 years to keep the area smooth and hair free.