It’s time to get excited about laser hair removal, regardless of your skin type. It is one of the most popular non-invasive cosmetic procedures in the world for a reason. People like you love the look, feel of a hassle-free lifestyle without unwanted hair.

The state-of-the-art Candela GentleMax is a patented hair removal system. A small hand piece is used to direct a beam of powerful light onto the area being treated. The targeted skin cells absorb this light. They convert it to heat.

This destroys the hair follicle so that it can no longer produce a hair there and the GentleMax does this without damaging the surrounding skin.

Only hair that has colour will contain enough melanin (chromophore) to attract the laser light energy. Therefore, laser hair removal will not be effective on blonde, white and gray hair. Red hair is variable and may not work, a test spot is recommended first.

Pain is always a concern with hair removal. Waxing, tweezing, or threading hurt. Ouch! Who knows what the long-term effects of using depilatory creams are? You’re applying harsh chemicals to your skin.

The Candela GentleMax system is different. It comes complete with a Dynamic Cooling Device™ (DCD™). This solution instantly freezes the very top layer of skin. Within a couple milliseconds, the laser hits the same spot. This one-two punch of cold and heat that takes less than a second means most people will remain perfectly comfortable throughout the procedure.

It’s been compared to the feeling of snapping yourself with a rubber band. Yes, you feel it for an instant. Then it’s gone. Test spots are always performed first to let the client feel comfortable before starting the treatment.

You have many hair follicles even in a small area. Targeting all of them in one session isn’t possible, but each session leaves you with fewer active hair follicles.

Multiple treatments are required to achieve the full hair removal effect. That’s because hair grows in three stages:

1. Anagen (the growth stage). Hair is thickest and darkest, so laser treatments are most effective.
2. Catagen (the transitional stage). The hair begins to loosen from its follicle.
3. Telogen (the shedding stage). The hair falls out to make room for new growth.

The hairs on your body are not always at the same stage, so you’ll need to undergo a few treatments, an average of six weeks apart, to catch them all in the growth stage.

If you have darker hair on lighter skin, you will get the fastest results. The laser uses the contrast between hair color and skin color to guide it. A single area will typically take two to six sessions but there are times when more sessions might be required.

Note: The number of treatments will depend on the growth stage of your hair, as permanent hair removal can only occur in the Anagen growth stage.  This is the reason several treatments are required.  Each treatment will treat approximately 10% to 15% of the area being treated.  After about 6 treatments you should have about 75% or more permanent hair reduction when the treatments have been performed at the proper schedule.  Finer hair or darker skin types may require more treatments.

The hair roots need to be in place for treatment, so for about six weeks prior to treatment, you should avoid waxing, electrolysis or plucking out any hairs in the planned treatment area. Before you arrive on the day of your treatment for the entire area where the treatment is to be performed your skin needs to be clean-shaven and thoroughly cleansed to removal all makeup, creams, oils, or any topical products you may have applied to your skin.
Do not expose the treatment area to sunlight or tanning booth for 4 to 6 weeks prior to or immediately after treatment. If you have a history of herpes simplex virus, a prophylactic antiviral therapy may be prescribed by your doctor.

Because of your natural hair growth cycle, you need multiple laser treatments to get optimal results. My Haven Laser & Spa therapists are likely to recommend two to six treatments, depending on your skin tone, hair coarseness, and thickness.

Once you complete the treatment course, most people experience near-permanent hair removal. If hair remains, it’s significantly finer and lighter than before. Periodic maintenance schedules can also keep your skin smooth and hair-free.

A treatment can take as little as a few minutes to as long as an hour, depending on the treatment area and the condition being treated. Both legs can often be treated in as few as 15 minutes, as can an average-sized man’s back.

Permanent side effects are rare.  Some potential side effects  may include the following:

• redness
• swelling
• hyperpigmentation
• hypopigmentation
• blistering and purpura (laser bruise) in the treated area

These usually do not last more than a few days.

Where do you have unwanted hair? The GentleMax Pro can help. Remove hair on the:

• Underarms
• Legs
• Bikini area
• Back
• Chest
• Stomach
• Arms
• Shoulders
• Neck
• Face or upper lip, chin and sideburns

Almost anywhere you have unwanted hair, the GentleMax can remove it.