Benefits of Hair Removal with Your Southlake, TX Dermatologist

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Let’s be honest, male or female, shaving regularly can be a tiring and repetitive task. Every day or a few times a week, you’re removing hair from your legs, underarms, face, neck, and pubic area. With laser hair removal, you don’t have to keep up with the shaving or waxing regiment. Better yet, your dermatologist can complete the procedure right in their office.

Laser Hair Removal 

Laser hair removal by your Southlake, TX dermatologist, is a safe and effective solution for removing unwanted body hair for good. The treatment was approved over 20 years ago by the FDA and is one of the most common procedures people between the ages of 20 and 45 seek dermatology care.

The process works by using specific wavelengths of light and pulse to destroy the hair follicle that allows new hair to grow. Specifically, the melanin (pigment or color) in the hair absorbs the light from the laser, it converts to heat and destroys the hair follicles.

It’s effective for anyone with dark hair. When it was first developed in the 1990s, removing hair from dark skin tones was more difficult. Technology, technique, and education have improved the process, and most skilled dermatologists can perform it without leaving blisters, scars, or irregular skin color that can replace a lifetime of shaving with a lifetime of blending foundation.

However, the reason you don’t see people over 45 having it done is that it doesn’t work for people with gray or white hair. Additionally, it won’t work well for individuals with blond and red hair, including strawberry blond. The reason for the difficulty is the lack of melanin or color in the hair and shades that are too light are more difficult for the laser to target.

Benefits of Laser Hair Removal 

The benefits are endless, depending on your work, lifestyle, and location. Hair removal is a tedious process and if you have a lot, you could easily spend an hour a week or more grooming your face, neck, legs, underarms, and pubic area. It also requires regular purchase for shaving cream, razors, aftercare products, and items for waxing. For people with sensitive skin that often deals with razor burns and ingrown hair issues, it’s even more expensive. If you wax it away for a longer, hair-free duration, it’s sticky and also for people who claim they’re used to it, waxing and tweezing are painful.

In addition to the regular torment, people experience from shaving, plucking, and waxing away unwanted hair, one slip can result in dangerous cuts that may lead to infections. If you have razor bumps or ingrown hairs, see your dermatologist for the next available appointment.

Where Laser Hair Removal Isn’t Permanent 

Your dermatologist inSouthlake, TX, can remove hair from virtually anywhere on your body with the laser. The most common areas are the face, legs, bikini area, and under the arms. Some areas you may not consider, but are still possible include the arms, stomach and around the belly button, and spots around the nipples. A popular option for men following their face is the back.

The only area where removal isn’t forever is the face. Men who have laser treatments may need touchups later in life, and because of hormones, women will need regular appointments to keep facial hair away. To improve the outcome, don’t tweeze or wax between dates or there will be no dark pigment (root) for the laser to target.

Potential Risks of Laser Hair Removal

One reason to go to a dermatologist is to minimize risks. You may see specials advertised at local spas or for do-it-yourself kits online. However, it’s important to have a trained and licensed professional complete the procedure and not an aesthetician. Only a medical doctor can spot warts and infections, and they’ll also know to ask about sun exposure before the procedure and they have the skills to go around tattoos and piercings, which can be very painful if the laser hits them. When a dermatologist completes the removal, you should experience minimal pain during and following the process.

Does Insurance Cover Laser Hair Removal?

Although it would be nice, laser hair removal is a cosmetic procedure that saves time and improves your beauty routine but isn’t a medical necessity. While your dermatologist in Southlake, TX, can complete the process, it won’t be a valid insurance claim.

What to Expect During Your Appointment?

It’s not a one and done procedure. Even on areas that remove the hair forever, it will take a few appointments to completely destroy all the hair follicles in the area. At the start, your dermatologist will apply a topical numbing solution to reduce discomfort about thirty minutes before the start. While the process can cause some pain, it much less than tweezing and waxing.

The entire appointment should take no more than an hour each time, and smaller areas take considerably less. Following the procedure, your skin will feel a little tender to the touch, similar to a sunburn. You can reduce the discomfort with cool compresses and moisturizing your skin. Additionally, your dermatologist will also advise you to avoid the gym, hot showers, and saunas and hot tubs after your treatment.

When’s the Best Time to Schedule Laser Hair Removal?

While you can complete the service throughout the year, the best time to schedule an appointment is in the fall or winter so you can cover up between treatments. Sun exposure can reduce the effectiveness of the procedure. For the best results, avoid sunshine for six weeks before and after each appointment.

If you’re looking to have permanent or semi-permanent hair removal, get the jump on summer now and contact your Southlake, TX, dermatologist at Compassion Dermatology to schedule a consultation.

Common Laser Skin Treatments | Tips from Your Southlake, TX Dermatologist

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Laser skin treatments are becoming increasingly common as they are widely accessible, mostly pain free, and non-surgical. Some of the common treatments include laser skin resurfacing, skin lightening, and hair removal.

The biggest attraction people, especially women, have with these laser treatments is that they are convenient and help get rid of unwanted facial hair, excessive hair growth, uneven skin tone, sun damage, wrinkles, acne, and a number of other skin issues.

Surgical procedures are not only painful, but they also have long recovery times as compared to laser skin treatments. The truth, nonetheless, is that laser treatments are not the perfect solution either. There are potential risks to laser skin treatments as well. Here are the benefits and risks of the most common laser skin treatments that you need to talk to your dermatologist in the Southlake, TX area, about before opting for laser treatment.

Laser Skin Resurfacing

Ablative and non-ablative are two types of skin surfacing methods. Ablative laser skin resurfacing is the treatment in which the top layer of damaged skin is removed and the underlying healthy layer of skin is revealed. This procedure also stimulates collagen production in the skin and is used to improve skin tone and texture.

Non-ablative laser skin resurfacing, on the other hand, is the one in which the laser targets the deeper layer of the sin and fixes broken blood vessels. This helps in improving skin pigmentation and wrinkles.

Benefits:

The reasons why people consider and go for laser skin resurfacing are:

  • It lightens the skin tone and helps in skin whitening. The treatment is also used to even out skin pigmentation
  • The laser helps smooth wrinkles and tightens the skin. The layers that are saggy are shed off and new healthier skin is revealed.
  • The treatment is long-lasting. Both ablative and non-ablative procedures have permanent results
  • The treatment is pain free with little or no recovery time
  • It is non-surgical, which means that clients don’t have to worry about surgery scars, side-effects, or long recovery periods
  • The laser gives the skin a glow as it reduces oversized pores

Potential Risks

There could be potential risks to the laser skin resurfacing procedure. The most effective way to avoid these risks is to ensure that you are going to a professional and skilled dermatologist.

  • If the laser used is too powerful, it will end up causing potentially lasting side-effects. These side-effects can include permanent lightening or darkening of the skin, cold sores, scars, or others. This is why you must ensure that you go to a qualified and experienced dermatologist for the treatment.
  • Possible side-effects could be redness, irritation, or temporary skin discoloration that will require medication. If not cared for properly, the reaction of the laser could get worse.

Laser Hair Removal

Laser hair removal is one of the most common procedures for which women visit dermatologists. It is a reasonably easier and simple way to get rid of unwanted hair permanently. Most women find it much more convenient than waxing and shaving. Laser hair removal techniques use electrolysis through which super-fine needles are inserted into the hair follicle to kill the follicle. The procedure is not so painful and is a permanent solution to hair growth. Here are the pros and cons.

Benefits

  • In comparison to other hair removal techniques, laser hair removal is very fast and simple. Even though your dermatologist will tell you the exact number of sessions you need after assessing the target area, skin type, and few other factors, it is usually faster.
  • The results are long-lasting. This is good news for every woman as waxing and shaving are required every few weeks, which can be highly inconvenient. With laser hair removal, the results are long-lasting, such as at least 12 months or more. After a few continuous sessions, there are chances that the hair never grows at all.
  • The sessions are simple and exact. Your dermatologistwill guide you through the procedure, which is usually exact and doesn’t require a lot of time. Theywill work with precision and ensure that the skin around is not damaged.

Risks

  • If your dermatologistis not professionally trained, the laser hair removal can backfire, leaving red spots on your skin.
  • Other risks include swollen or itchy skin.
  • If the laser beam is even slightly misbalanced, it can cause permanent damage to the skin
  • If the skin is exposed to the sun after the treatment, the UV rays can cause cancerous cells to ignite

While the potential risks with laser skin treatments can be reduced or eliminated, one major disadvantage is that these treatments are highly costly. Not everyone can afford these treatments as it costs hundreds of dollars for every session.

If you are looking for affordable and professional laser skin treatments, you can find the best dermatologist in the Southlake, TX area, at Compassion Dermatology.

Our skincare experts are trained and will ensure that the customer is satisfied. We encourage open communication between the client and the consultant so that the client knows what they are going through. Compassion Dermatology in the Southlake, TX area, also ensure that the client is aware of all the potential risks involved. If you are looking for the best laser treatments in Southlake, TX contact 817-380-5911 today!