notes

LASER therapy is the
buzzword in beauty
today.

Tattoos, cellulite, sun
Spots, acne sears, wrinkles
and spider veins can all be
removed with the zap of a
laser.

The laser is also becom-
ing an increasingly populsr
form of hair removal.

Since opening his Dermal
Laser Centre eight months
ago, Dr. Azim Jamal has per-
formed close to 400 treat-
ments in the Bellevue
Avenue clinic.

Jamal estimates there are
currently close toa dozen
clinics and “ spas” specializ-
ing in laser services in the
Lower Mainland.
Dermatologists like Dr.
Joanna Day, who also has a
practice on Bellevue Avenue,
have used the laser on the
skin to treat fine lines and
wrinkles for a number of
years. But it’s only recently
that the faser has started to
be used as an effective form
of hair removal.

The technology that
Jamal uses in his clinic is the
SoftLight laser. It’s the same
type of laser that has safely
been used for tattoo and
mole removal for over 50
years, he says. It’s only in
the last three years that the
San Diego-based company
has refined its use for hair
removal.

Laser is an acronym for
light amplification by the
stimulated emission of radia-
tion. A laser produces an
intense beam of light that
ean cut, seal or vaporize skin
tissue and blood vessels.

In the case of hair
removal, heat produced
through laser energy causes a
thermal burn to the hair folli-
cle, destroying it without
damaging the surrounding
structure,

Most laser hair-removal
systems target melanin found
in both hair and skin.

But the SoftLight system

north shore news

_ 8 FASHION

Laser system Zaps unwanted hairs

Layne

NEWS photo Mike Wakstield

DR. Azim Jamai demonstrates laser hair-removal using the SoftLight laser, a machine that resembles a photocopier with a fiashlight
attached to a tong arm. During the procedure, protective goagles are worn by everyone in the room, including the patient.

is different in that it targets a
carbon solution applied to
the skin.

This makes the system
ideal for patients with dark
complexions, who may expe-
rience scarring and pigmen-
tation changes with other
laser systems.

Jamal explains the proce-
dure.

The area to be treated is
first shaved and cleaned with
alcohol. A thin, black carbon
lotion is applied to the skin.
The stubble acts as a wick,
drawing the solution ints
the hair follicle. Excess
lotion is wiped from the
skin’s surface.

The SoftLight laser is
then scanned over the area,
targeting the black carbon
lotion and in the process

AND SOLIDS
Allin store stock!

destroying hairs.

The procedure is virtually
painless, says Jamal. Patients
may fecl a slight tingling
sensation like the snap of a
rubber band.

“It’s such a gentle proce-
dure,” he says, “that some
patients fall asleep during
treatment.

Sessions can last from 15
minutes to a couple of
hours, depending on the
area being treated,

The laser can be used to
remove unwanted hair from
the face, underarms, bikini
fine, legs and back as well as
other areas.

The clinic’s customers
range in age from 12 to 82.
Ten per cent of all visits are
by men — ranging from
business executives to body

builders, athletes to “com-
mon guys who want to have
their back done for the
beach,” says Jamal

An average course of
treatment is four to six ses-
sions over the first year, then
a couple of visits each year
thereafter to maintain
resuits,

Typically, clients will
begin to see hair regrowth
four to cight weeks after
their first treatment.

Hair is slower to regrow
after the second treatment.
After each treatment, the
hair regrowth becomes finer
in appearance.

But results are variable,
cautions Jamal.

“You can’t go in expect-
ing that in two to three
treatments the hair will be

gone,” he warns.

Some women can achieve
dramatic results in three to
four treatments. Others may
require up to six treatments
a year.

The procedure doesn’t
come cheaply.

A single session to
remove hair from the face
and neck costs $250. A
course of treatment can ¢asi-
ly run around $1,000.

The procedure is nor suit-
able for everyone. If you are
pregnant, taking blood-thin-
ning medication or prone to
keloid scarring, laser hair
removal is not for you,

Prospective clicnts should
also be cautioned that no
laser hair removal is perma-
nent.

Hormonal changes dur-

ing puberty, preganancy and
menopause can cause pat-
terns of hair growth to
change.

Anyone interested in the
procedure should also know
that the laser does not cause
hair to be removed entirely.
Instead, coarse hair is
changed to fine, invisible
hair.

The good news is that
prices for laser hair-removal
have decreased dramatically
since the procedure first
came on the market.

At his Dermal Laser
Centre, Jamal cut prices as
much as half this April due —
to the service’s increasing
avaitability. The cost of a sin-
gle treatment to the upper
lip fell from $275 to $96,
for example.

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