The Candela GentleMax Laser safely and effectively reduces unwanted hair in areas such as legs, bikini line, under arms, chest, back, and facial hair.  Men and women are both candidates for this type of treatment. Shaving is a daily chore that can cause ingrown hairs and razor burn.  Waxing is painful and offers a short-term solution to unwanted hair growth.  Electrolysis only treats one hair follicle at a time, is not practical for large areas and is painful and extremely time-consuming.  Laser hair reduction works best for thick dark hair on people who have non-tanned skin.

How does the Laser Hair Reduction process work?

The laser creates a beam of high-intensity light that penetrates deeply into skin tissue, where it delivers a controlled amount of targeted therapeutic heat.  Candela’s patented Dynamic Cooling Device™ (DCD™) protects the upper layers of your skin with a cooling burst of cryogen. Together, the long-pulse laser and air cooling offer optimal treatment with minimal side effects.

A series of at least 6 treatments is recommended spaced approximately 4-6 weeks apart.  Maintenance treatments may also be necessary to ensure permanent hair reduction.

What can I expect during treatment?

You will be required to wear safety eyewear to protect your eyes from the laser light. The laser treats the area with a small handpiece. After each laser pulse may be preceded and followed by a short pulse of a cooling spray. A treatment could take as little as a few minutes to as long as an hour, depending on the area and condition being treated.

Does it hurt?

Some patients may feel a slight discomfort with each laser pulse, sometimes described like the snapping of a rubber band on the skin. This discomfort resolves quickly and is minimized by Candela’s DCD or air cooling.

How many treatment sessions will I need?

The number of sessions depends on the treatment you require and the condition of your skin. For hair removal, multiple treatments are required, as the process is most effective when the hair follicle is in its active growth phase. Other conditions may clear up in only one treatment, but many factors impact the efficacy of individual laser treatments, including the severity of the condition being treated.

How do I prepare for treatment?

Patients scheduled for hair removal should avoid plucking, electrolysis or hair waxing for six weeks prior to treatment.  If you have a history of herpes simplex virus and are scheduled for laser treatment, prophylactic antiviral therapy may be prescribed. Also, your skin should be clean shaven, and your skin should be thoroughly cleansed and dried, removing any makeup, creams, oils, topical anesthetics or self-tanning products before laser treatment. The intended treatment area should not be exposed to sunlight or tanning booth light prior to or immediately after treatment according to your providers recommendation. Before laser treatment, prevent sun exposure by applying sunblock (SPF 30 or above).

What can I expect after treatment?

A cool compress or gel pack may be applied for comfort following your treatment. Any redness or swelling should resolve within a few hours.

What precautions should I take after treatment?

After laser treatment, prevent sun exposure by applying sunblock (SPF 30 or above). In the first few days after treatment, don’t scrub or rinse the treated areas with abrasive skin cleansers.

Immediately after the treatment, patients can expect a mild sunburn-like sensation, possibly accompanied by some minor puffiness.  This usually lasts 2-24 hours, and can be soothed with ice packs.  The treated hair will continue to appear for 7-30 day post-treatment.  This is not new hair growth, but the treated hairs being expelled from the skin.  At any given time, some of the hair is not in a phase of active growth.  This is why you will need more than one treatment. As the treatments progress you will notice that the hair growth is much thinner and finer and the need to maintain will decrease.  The only hair removal method that should be used in between laser treatments is shaving, clipping, or trimming.  The area being treated should be shaved the day before or the day of treatment. *A series of six treatments or more is recommended for optimal results. Facial hair, darker skin tones or patients with history of hormone/thyroid imbalances may require additional sessions to treat unwanted hair effectively.