HAIR REMOVAL
We work from the root where the hair grows
At Give Me Clinic we carry out hair removal with the Cynosure Apogee Plus. Its 755nm alexandrite wavelength is absorbed by the dark melanin in hair and carries heat down to the follicle. The laser responds only to hairs that are growing at the moment of application, so clearing one area takes 10 sessions or more, two to four weeks apart. The spot size is wide, so even arms and legs are covered in under 5 minutes per area. Air cooling runs from before application through to afterwards, so the treatment is carried out without anaesthesia.
AT A GLANCE
- Procedure timeUnder 5 min
- IntervalEvery 2 to 4 weeks
- AnaesthesiaNone
- Recommended10 sessions or more
INFORMATION
Treatment overview
Sessions build up in step with the hair growth cycle, so the schedule follows the guidelines below.
- Laser hair removal
- Under 5 min, 10 sessions or more every 2 to 4 weeks, no anaesthesia
- Device
- Apogee Plus (Cynosure), 755nm alexandrite, non-contact delivery
- Areas treated
- Underarms, arms, legs, face, upper lip, bikini, Brazilian and others
- Before treatment
- Stop waxing and using tweezers 3 to 4 weeks beforehand, and shave the area the day before
- Immediately after
- Redness rises around the follicles and usually settles within a day
- Return to routine
- You can shower the same day. Leave saunas, steam rooms and tanning for 3 days
Equipment
Equipment
The devices actually used in this treatment. Tap a card to see how one works and what a session involves.
- Apogee PlusA 755nm alexandrite hair-removal laser made by Cynosure. The handpiece fires from just above the skin without touching it, and air cooling runs from before the shot through to after it, so no anaesthetic is needed. The spot is large, so wide areas are covered relatively quickly. The output is set again for each area, according to hair thickness and skin tone.
STRENGTHS
Four strengths of Apogee Plus
Apogee Plus is Cynosure's 755nm alexandrite hair-removal laser. Four things explain why the treatment runs without anaesthesia, in under five minutes per area, and without hygiene worries.
- 755nm alexandriteThis wavelength is absorbed selectively by the dark melanin pigment in hair. The absorbed light becomes heat, is carried down to the follicle, and acts on the activity of the cells that produce hair.
- Air cooling before, during and afterCooling does not stop from before the laser fires, through application, and on afterwards. This is what allows the treatment to be carried out without anaesthesia.
- Delivered without touching the skinThe handpiece is not placed on the skin. The energy is delivered from just above it. Because no instrument touches you, moving from the underarms to the arms and carrying on leaves nothing to pass across by contact.
- A wide spot sizeA large area is covered at once, so even arms and legs are worked through in under 5 minutes per area. Several areas can be done in sequence in a single visit.
HAIR CYCLE
10 or more sessions, because hair has a cycle
Hair moves through anagen, catagen and telogen phases, and one area holds hairs in all three at once. The laser responds only to hairs in the growth phase, so the amount a single session can address is fixed.
- 01Anagen, when the laser gets a responseThe phase in which hair grows, nourished by the dermal papilla. Melanin is at its densest and the hair is attached to the follicle, so laser energy is absorbed at this point. This is the only window in which application means anything.
- 02Catagen and telogen, when there is no responseGrowth has stopped and the hair is separating from the follicle, or it is resting. Even within the same area, hair in these states does not respond to that day's application.
- 03All three phases are mixed within one areaHairs do not all grow to the same rhythm, so at any moment one area holds hairs in all three phases. A single session addresses only the hair that was in the growth phase that day.
- 04Every 2 to 4 weeks, 10 sessions or moreWe apply again at the point when resting hairs move into the growth phase. Since a session addresses only that day's growth-phase hairs, one area needs 10 sessions or more. The face has a short cycle, so we set two-week intervals. The legs have a long one, so four weeks.
- 05Maintenance after 10 sessionsEven after the planned sessions, some hair comes through again under the influence of hormones and individual constitution. At that point we do not repeat at the same output. We widen the interval and treat only the areas that need it.
OUR VIEW
The number of sessions is set not by the device but by the hair cycle.
RECOMMENDED FOR
When a consultation is worth considering
If any of the following apply, we begin the consultation by checking hair thickness and density along with your skin tone.
- Repeated shaving and waxing have brought on frequent folliculitis
- Hair is thick enough that shaved areas show a blue shadow
- You would prefer a method in which the handpiece does not touch the skin
- Ingrown hairs have left marks
- You would like to settle areas of repeated shaving irritation, such as the beard and the neckline
- You would like the underarms, arms and legs done in sequence in one visit
- You can come in 10 times or more, two to four weeks apart
SETTINGS BY AREA
Application conditions and intervals by area
- Underarms → every 2 to 3 weeksHair here is thick and dense, so the area responds well to the laser. The skin folds and perspires, so we ask you to leave deodorant off for 3 days afterwards. It is done in under 5 minutes per area.
- Arms and legs → every 3 to 4 weeksA wide area, so a device with a large spot size is needed. The hair cycle is long, so we set intervals of 3 to 4 weeks. These areas are often exposed to UV, so please leave tanning aside before and after treatment.
- Face, upper lip and sideburns → every 2 weeksFine, downy hairs are mixed in, so the response is uneven. The hair cycle is short, so we close the interval to 2 weeks, and because the skin is thin we set the output lower. If you are having pigmentation lasers as well, we separate the order.
- Bikini and Brazilian → every 3 weeksThe skin here is the thinnest and most sensitive. We hold the cooling longer and lower the output, and suggest clothing with little friction for a few days afterwards.
- Men's hair removal → varies by areaThere are many thick, dense areas: the beard, the neckline, the chest and the back. Where folliculitis recurs after shaving, we set the beard at 2-week intervals and the chest and back at 4-week intervals.
AFTERCARE
Recovery after the procedure
- Same dayRedness around the folliclesRedness rises around the follicles in the treated area. Calm it with a cold compress. A lukewarm shower is fine the same day. Please leave saunas and steam rooms aside.
- Days 1 to 3No exfoliation or deodorantStop exfoliation, scrubs and strongly scented products for 3 days. Clothing with little friction makes recovery easier. For the underarms, please leave deodorant off during this period.
- Weeks 1 to 2When the hair shedsHair that has taken heat is pushed out and sheds. It looks as though new hair is growing, but this is mostly the shedding process. Please do not pull it out. Tidy it with a razor only.
- Weeks 2 to 4The next sessionWe apply again at the point when resting hairs enter the growth phase. We check the response in each area and adjust the output and the interval for the next session.
- After 10 sessionsMaintenanceOnce the planned sessions are complete, we widen the interval and treat only the areas that remain. Keep up sun protection and moisturising throughout the treatment period and afterwards.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How many sessions will I need?
We suggest 10 sessions or more per area. A single session addresses only the hair that was in the growth phase that day, so the work has to be divided, and the interval is set at 2 to 4 weeks depending on the area. At each session we check the thickness and density of the remaining hair and adjust the output.
Once it is done, will the hair stop coming back?
Some hair comes through again under the influence of hormones and individual constitution. After 10 or more sessions we do not repeat at the same output. We move to maintenance instead, widening the interval and treating only the areas that remain.
Why can it not be finished in one visit?
Hair moves through anagen, catagen and telogen phases, and one area holds hairs in all three. Laser energy is absorbed only by hair in the growth phase, where melanin is dense, so we apply again at the two to four week point, when resting hairs move into that phase.
Does it hurt much?
We work without anaesthesia, because air cooling runs from before application through to afterwards. How much is felt varies a great deal by area and by person. For the bikini line and the upper lip we lower the output and hold the cooling longer, so if you are sensitive to pain please tell us at the consultation.
Should I shave before coming in?
Shave the surface the day before. Waxing and tweezing pull the hair out at the root and take away the target the laser aims at, so those need to stop 3 to 4 weeks before treatment.
Can I have this in summer?
You can, on condition that UV is blocked. Tanned skin holds more melanin, so heat is absorbed by the skin as well. Straight after tanning we wait for the skin to recover before proceeding. Use sunscreen before and after treatment and keep exposure down.
Can several areas be treated in one visit?
Yes. Because the handpiece does not touch the skin, moving from area to area and carrying on leaves nothing to pass across by contact. The hair cycle differs by area, though, so the date of the next session is set separately for each.
CONSULTATION
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As of
Treatment options and devices can change. We confirm the details with you at your consultation.