Laser Hair Removal at Brighton Laser Clinic
Excess and unwanted hair is a common problem. Women frequently experience this condition on the face, in the bikini area, under the arms, on the legs, or indeed anywhere. Men often wish to rid themselves of hair on their back or chest. They too may have unwanted hair between their eyebrows or on other parts of their face.
The removal of unwanted hair by laser has been a safe, popular and effective method of treatment for many years. The laser emits a beam which is absorbed by the dark pigment in thehair. The hair and the hair follicle are damaged during the process which causes a significant, long-term reduction in re-growth.
With a staff of registered nurses and practitioners, all with BTEC qualifications (a nationally recognised laser hair qualification accredited by Loughborough College), the Brighton Laser Clinic puts its clients safety and wellbeing first, with an emphasis on comfort and satisfaction. See Meet the Staff for more details.
Advanced technology lasers and light sources are rapidly changing hair removal treatment, providing gentle, non-invasive and long-lasting solutions to unwanted hair. Among laser and light-based devices, the Lumina Q™ laser provides safety, superior results and client satisfaction.
Laser Equipment
LUMINA Q IPL hand-pieces use our novel Interchangeable Light Guide (ILGT) technology to give practitioners a range of treatment sizes, allowing greater flexibility to treat large areas quickly and treat small areas precisely.
The ILG sizes are:
Large (5x1cm) - for fast treatment of large areas
Medium (2.5x1cm) - for facial areas
Small (1x1cm) - for small individual lesions
Circular (1cm diameter) - for contoured areas and individual lesions.
Lynton ILG technology uses a snap-in quartz crystal to deliver the light to the 
skin, which allows for a quick change of light guide size and easy cleaning between clients. Each ILG crystal is 5cm long to improve skin visibility during treatments, accurate targeting and improved access to awkward areas. The key advantage of ILG technology is to reduce bulk tissue heating by up to 80% and therefore protect the skin against an adverse reaction.
For more details on the Lumina Q, see http://www.lynton.co.uk/lumina.asp
Treatments with the Lumina Laser
Applying gel
Treating an arm
Treating a cheek
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What causes unwanted hair?
A: Excess and unwanted hair is a common problem. Womenfrequently experience this condition on the face, especially the upper lip and chin area, at the bikini line, under their arms or on their legs. Men often have unwanted hair on their back or chest, between their eyebrows or on other parts of their face. In many cases excessive hair growth runs in families. Race can also be a factor — southern European, Mediterranean and Asian people are more prone to having excess facial hair than northern European natives. White women of Mediterranean descent are more likely to haveunwanted hair than women who have a Scandinavian background. Hormones also play a role. Some people experience unwanted or excess hair from the time they reach puberty; others find it to be a condition that gets worse with age. Some women experience additional hair growth during pregnancy or menopause.
Q: How is unwanted hair treated?
A: Conventional treatments include shaving, plucking, waxing and depilatory creams. These methods provide temporary fixes that are often inconvenient, messy and irritating for the skin. Electrolysis can have good results, but is time-consuming, sometimes painful and is useful only in removing hair in small areas. The Lumina™ light source is rapidly changing hair removal treatment, providing gentle, non-invasive, long-lasting solutions to unwanted hair on any body area.
Q: What happens during a Lumina treatment?
A: Before each session begins, system settings are computer-customized according to skin colour and type and the area of the body being treated. Treatment begins by trimming away any hair above the surface of the skin and then conducting test spots to determine the patient's skin response to different device settings. Next, a cold gel (similar to ultrasound gel) is sometimes spread over the treatment area. This helps keep the skin cool and focus the light treatment. Patients wear special eyewear to protect the eyes from the bright light. The device hand-piece is moved over the treatment area, while light-based energy is emitted in highly controlled flashes or pulses. This heats up the hair, significantly damaging the re-growth potential of the follicle. hair will fall out over the next week or two.
Q: How long do treatments last? How many will I need?
A: Sessions can last from a few minutes to more than an hour, depending on the size of the area being treated. The number of treatments required depends on several factors related to specific skin types and colour, thickness and density of hair. Several treatments are necessary to achieve the best results. Consult your nurse for an estimate of the necessary number of treatments.
Q: How much time is there between sessions?
A: Subsequent sessions are scheduled when the hair begins to re-grow. The timing for this can range from six to twelve weeks, depending on hair type and the part of the body being treated. On average, appointments are scheduled six to ten weeks apart.
Q: Are light treatments safe for all skin types?
A: Yes, this technology can be used to treat unwanted hair on all skin types, including dark-skinned individuals such as those of Hispanic or Asian descent.
Q: Can all hair be treated?
A: Treatments are customized according to hair colour, texture and location. Darker hair is more successfully treated.
Q: What does the treatment feel like?
A: Most people tolerate the treatments very well. Discomfort is often described as a slight tingling or a pinch similar to a quick dull pin prick.
Q: Are there any possible side effects?
A: The appearance of the treated area immediately following treatment will vary from patient to patient depending on the extent of the procedure and skin type. Side effects, if any, are usually minor. There may be some redness and swelling around the treated hair follicles; this is a desired clinical result indicating that the follicle has responded to treatment. This reaction typically disappears within hours. Most people return to normal activity right away. On rare occasions, some blistering may occur, but this typically resolves quickly. In very rare occasions the skin can become darker or lighter following treatment, but will generally return to normal within a few weeks. Limiting sun exposure before and after each treatment will minimize the risk of complications.
Q: What kind of results should I expect? Does this technology really remove hair long-term?
A: Yes. Scientific studies show that the use of targeted, light-based energy actually damages or destroys hair follicles at the cellular level. A long-term reduction in the number of re-growing hairs is usually achieved following each treatment. Refer to Links and Resources for a listing of related studies.
Q & A courtesy of www.skinandhealth.com