Laser Hair Reduction

Conveniently located to serve Columbus, Lancaster, Pickerington, and Canal Winchester

If you are tired of constant shaving, plucking or waxing, laser hair removal may be a better solution for you. This treatment, which works well on areas of the body such as the bikini line, underarms, back, legs and upper lip can offer permanent hair reduction, meaning that you will have dramatically less hair on the treated areas.

At Central Ohio Plastic Surgery, we use the Rohrer Spectrum Diode laser which is safe for a variety of skin types and hair colors.

Will laser hair reduction work for me?

The ideal candidate for this treatment has light skin and dark hair. Lasers look for differences in color. Light skin and dark hair provide the greatest difference in color and therefore, those patients tend to get the best results.

Lasers typically are not as effective for reducing blonde, white or gray hair, since there is not a big enough pigment for the laser to find. For peach fuzz, our patients are often best served with regular dermaplanes which both rejuvenate the skin and remove the unwanted hair.

We recommend that patients with dark skin who are considering laser therapy come in for a test patch, since there is the possibility that the laser could remove the pigment from the skin.

How many treatments will I need?

Our patients typically require 5 treatments for full hair reduction. Hair grows in cycles, so although we can treat the hair currently at the surface, different hair will grow in over the following 6 weeks. Therefore, we recommend that patients plan to come in for 5 appointments approximately 6 weeks apart.

I heard someone advertise on the radio that my hair will go away and never come back. Can you guarantee that too?

If you listen carefully to those ads, they are promising that you will never have to shave again – not that your hair will never grow back. Because our bodies are constantly evolving, it is extremely likely that new hair will eventually grow in, so be wary of places that overpromise their results.

Is there anyone who is not a candidate for laser hair reduction?

Anyone who is pregnant or nursing. We just cannot do laser treatments during this special time in your life. Also, we don’t perform laser treatments on anyone who has used Accutane in the last 24 months.

What do I need to know or do before treatment?

Here are our pre-treatment instructions. Please let us know if you have any questions.

Please follow these instructions carefully:

The following instructions should be followed closely except when instructed. Notify Dr. Lichten of any unusual changes in your condition and feel free to call the office at (740) 653-5064 with any questions. We want your treatment to be as effective as possible.

Medications/Reactions

Please advise us about all of your medical conditions and medications before you have your treatment, as there are some that prevent us from performing Laser Hair Reduction. These include, but are not limited to the following:

1. If you are pregnant or nursing
2. If you have taken Accutane any time in the past two years.
3. If you have an active herpes infection, you may not have the treatment until it resolves. If you are prone to herpes, but do not have an active infection, please let us know and we can prescribe prophylactic antivirals.

Before your Treatment

1. Avoid sun exposure for three weeks before your treatment. Tanned skin has extra melanin which attracts laser energy and may lead to pigmentation changes in the skin.
2. Do not: Tweeze, wax or have any other treatment that removes hair from its root for 1 month before treatment. There must be hair in the hair follicle for laser hair reduction to work. The laser is attracted to the melanin, or pigment, of the hair. The hair must ben in its anagen or active growth phase.
3. Do: Shave 24-48 hours before your session. The idea is to have a nice, close shave, so that there is no hair outside the skin. It is best to have just enough hair to be visible so your laser technician knows what it to be treated. There will be an extra fee for treating areas that need to be shaved.

The Day of your Treatment

1. You may use Tylenol for discomfort.
2. You may use ice packs before treatment to reduce discomfort.

Avoid applying any lotion, sunscreen, perfume or other similar cosmetics to the surface of your skin in the treatment area.