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It is a proven fact that our skin and tissue continues to respond and improve even when laser treatments have finished. This is based on a known theory called “the lag effect.”
The lag effect refers to how our bodies continue to make collagen to improve the texture of the skin after the laser treatments have finished. The same improvement over time is true in regard to pigmented acne scars that are red or brown. Research and experience shows that the lag effect in response to laser treatments may be as long as six months after the last laser treatment. Although much hard work occurs during the treatment plan, our bodies continue to hear after the laser treatment program has ended.
While laser technology is certainly compelling and fascinating, so too is the body’s amazing ability to heal. Time and lag effect – a good combination. See below for a visual presentation of the “lag effect” with tattoo removal procedures.
As experts in laser hair removal, we can tell you that not all laser hair removal programs are equal. At Celibre Medical, we have developed proven, effective laser hair removal treatment programs that allow our patients to enjoy between a 75% and 95% permanent reduction of their unwanted hair. In our experience, this level of hair removal is usually achieved after 6 to 8 treatments.
We’ve developed some common recommendations that we give to each patient to help get the most out of their laser hair removal treatment. We ask that you keep all your regularly scheduled appointments, to stay on the correct time interval between treatments. We also ask that you shave to removal unwanted hair during your treatment. Plucking or waxing removes the hair from the follicle, so that laser becomes much less effective at damaging it.
Permanent Laser Hair Removal Before and After Pictures
While most patients enjoy excellent results in 6 to 8 treatments, some see the same level of improvement after only 4 treatment sessions. The bottom line is that there is some variability, but if you’re not seeing a significant reduction in the amount of hair after 2-3 visits at your practitioner’s office, it may be time to switch. And if you’re pressured to sign up for a 6 or 8 treatment “package”, resist the urge. If you sign up with the wrong practitioner, you may not be able to get a refund.
Finally, we have identified a few different factors that may lead to more than the recommended number of treatment sessions. Hormone imbalances (like PCOD) and fine hair or hair that is light brown (not dark brown or black) will usually require more treatment sessions to get optimal results. We have also found that certain ethnic groups generally require more treatment sessions as do large areas, like the back or the legs.
We believe in being up front with our patients and educating them thoroughly about their procedure prior to beginning treatment. We’ve found that preparing you for the road ahead not only makes for a happier ride, but also gives you greater satisfaction at the end.
Millions of American adults like you suffer daily with the embarrassing redness and acne-like breakouts of Rosacea. It’s a common skin condition that usually affects those with fair skin types. Although many different oral and topical prescriptions exist for the treatment of Rosacea, none is 100% effective. Rosacea is incurable, so even if a treatment works, it can come right back. If this all sounds familiar to you, then we’d like to talk to you about a different Rosacea treatment option: pulsed dye lasers.
If you’re tired of dealing with the uncertainty of Rosacea, or if you’ve failed multiple different prescription treatments in the past, then lasers may offer you the relief and improvement you’ve been looking for. They can be an effective treatment tool no matter how bad your Rosacea is or what you’ve tried and failed in the past. Sometimes, they offer long-term relief from the daily flushing, redness and breakouts of Rosacea. Here’s how they work: pulsed dye lasers are the tool of choice for treating Rosacea. They target hemoglobin, which carries oxygen and is responsible for the red color of blood.
Rosacea before and after photos
The typical symptoms and facial appearance of Rosacea develop due to too many enlarged and dilated facial blood vessels in the skin. This laser effectively targets these numerous vessels and heats them up quickly, causing them to collapse. Once this happens, the treated blood vessel can’t fill back up; it slowly breaks down and then is reabsorbed naturally by the body. The end result is less blood vessels, less redness and clearer skin.
In addition to getting rid of the excessive, non-essential blood vessels, the pulsed dye laser also gently heats the skin, triggering some collagen and elastin remolding and stimulation. This equates to smoother, tighter skin with each treatment. Also, Rosacea itself can trigger textural skin changes that can be improved with these laser treatments. No topical prescription cream can do that!
Rosacea laser treatments are typically spaced 4 to 6 weeks apart to allow for sufficient healing. Depending on the severity of your Rosacea, you may need 4 to 8 treatment sessions to get the improvement you’re looking for. Although these treatments are most often not covered by medical insurance, our patients tell us that they are well worth the investment because of both the physical relief and cosmetic improvement they provide.
Here at Celibre Medical, this is a common question. We hear it from our patients nearly every day! And while the question is nearly the same from everyone who asks it, the answer isn’t. The preferred question to ask is, “Am I a good candidate for laser treatment of my stretch marks?” This one is a bit easier to answer based on what your stretch marks look like.
We want our patients to be satisfied with their treatment—better yet, we want them to be ecstatic with their results. A huge part of our ability to do this lies with picking and choosing patients who are good candidates for the laser procedures that we provide. We will not promise results that aren’t realistic or that we know we can’t deliver on. As laser experts, we use our knowledge and expertise to determine who will respond to treatment and who won’t. While we wish we could treat each and every stretch mark with lasers and make them go away, we know that we can’t (at least not yet!).
So, who is a good candidate? Someone who is younger, with newer or more recent stretch marks that are red, pink or brown in color. We also tend to have success with stretch marks that are more indented or sunken in—not flat. In general, flat (or raised), white stretch marks do not respond well to laser treatment. So, as you can see, answering this question really depends more on the qualities of your stretch marks than it does the laser.
Also, in many cases, you can expect improvement in the appearance of your stretch marks after laser treatment, but not 100% clearance. We always discuss this up front with you, and never after your treatment. We know a huge part of our success and your satisfaction depends on what expectations you have for your laser treatment. We will take the time to discuss this carefully with you to ensure that everyone’s on the same page.
The name of our game is to under promise and over deliver. This is a fine line to walk, but we are very good at it; it’s helped us become one of the most trusted laser dermatology practices in the Los Angeles and torrance area.
Now that you have an understanding of how laser hair removal works, there are several other very important factors you should understand before getting laser hair removal. The body has amazing ability to heal the blood vessels that feed the hair so the process of closing them takes repeated treatments over an extended period of time. In our practice we find that typically patients will need between 6-8 treatments and the average time btween treatments is about 8 weeks. So the process does not occur overnight.
The thicker and darker your hair, the better chance of being able to achieve good outcomes. This is why very fine light colored hair does not respond so well to laser hair removal. The bigger the target for the laser, the easier it is to absorb the energy. Thick dark hair absorbs the most laser energy so it responds the quickest. At this time, there is no laser technology that can produce long-term results for hair that is lacking pigment such as white, grey, and blond hair. There are some lasers that must be combined with the use of sprayed on color (carbon) to the hair to add enough pigment for the laser to be able to locate the hair. However, the long-term results are inconsistent at best and we do not practice this technique at our facilities.
Using the correct laser for laser hair removal and the correct amount of energy for each different patient is very important in the outcome for someone doing laser hairremoval. If you are not getting the right laser for your skin type or the proper amount of energy required to damage the blodd vessel, then your results will be poor. You may have a very low percentage of hair removal or you may not get any permanent hair removal at all. A good practitioner will understand the need to utilize the perfect “recipe” that is tailored to the color and texture of the patient’s skin and hair.
Besides the right technology and settings, it is important to follow the correct treatment schedule to get the best results for your laser hair removal program. The success of laser hair removal relies heavily on timing. For laser hair removal to be effective, the treatment should be rendered when the hair is in the growth cycle known as the anagen phase. It is during this hair growth phase when the hair is optimal for permanent destruction. This is another important reason why multiple treatments are needed for optimal results. Multiple or successive treatments allow for more opportunity to target hair in the growth phase and induce permanent damage to the blood vessel. When the hair is not in the anagen phse, there is no target fo rthe heat energy because the hair is not present in the follicle – it has fallen out. By waiting the appropriate time between treatments, the hair is given the correct amount of time to grow back in.
Finally, what the patient does between treatments is crucial in maximizing benefits. If patients utilize other hair removal methods between laser treatments such as plucking or waxing, outcomes will be negatively affected as this will disrupt the hair growth cycle. The only acceptable method of hair removal when receiving laser hair removal treatments is shaving.
If you’ve got ingrown hairs, you know that they not only look bad, but they hurt too! These painful, tender, red, raised bumps are common on the face, scalp and body usually after shaving. Ingrown hairs can be mistaken for acne, lead to more severe skin problems like folliculitis (infection of the hair follicle) and they can also lead to permanent facial scarring. Darkened areas of skin, known as traumatic hyperpigmentation can take months (or longer) to resolve. And a more serious form of ingrown hairs called pseudofolliculitis barbae can lead to permanent raised or pitted scars in the beard and neck.
Laser hair removal before and after photos
There are many over-the-counter products including shave creams that promise to reduce or even eliminate ingrown hairs, but for many of us, they just don’t work. However, there is one, proven way to eliminate painful, potentially scarring ingrown hairs once and for all: laser hair removal.
Laser hair removal is safe for all skin types (colors) and can be performed anywhere on the body. It is the perfect treatment for this common, frustrating problem. Why shave day after day and risk serious skin infection and scarring when you can permanently get rid of your unwanted hair? Many of our patients who’ve experienced the scarring type of folliculitis find that once the hair is gone for good, their skin settles down and returns to a more normal appearance.
If you’re suffering with ingrown hairs and frustrated with the previous products and treatments that didn’t work for you in the past, consider laser hair removal. It truly is a miracle treatment that can keep this problem at bay for you permanently! It is safe and effective no matter where you’re bothered by ingrown hairs and no matter what skin type (color) you have.
We know you’ve seen them—those tiny, bright red bumps on your tummy, chest, back, arms or legs. They seem to pop up overnight, and you’re wondering if they’re okay? They’re called cherry hemangiomas (or angiomas) and they are extremely common. They also go by the names spider hemangiomas (or angiomas) and blood freckles. Even though it sounds funny, blood freckle may just be the most descriptive, as they literally are a collection of blood vessels in the skin.
Many middle-aged adults like you have them and they often increase in number over the years. They usually appear on your torso first, then spread to your arms and legs. They are almost always non-cancerous.
If you don’t like the way they look, we’ve got a solution! Class IV medical lasers and the hyfrecator are an excellent option for unwanted spider hemangiomas and can be safely used to get rid of them on all skin types (colors). Once treated, the hemangiomas are gone, but you may get more of them in different locations. Call today to learn more about angioma removal.
This is a common question and misconception. Like many skin conditions, the goal of laser stretch mark removal is improvement rather than complete removal. Although there are many practitioners that utilize more than one laser to treat stretch marks, it is misleading to suggest that stretch marks can be completely removed – regardless of the type of technology used.
The one exception is colored stretch marks. Red and brown colored stretch marks can often be returned to the same color as the surrounding skin, provided there is no damage to the texture of the skin.
However, knowing that there are viable options for improvement of a permanent condition like stretch marks allows many patients to seek treatments like laser stretch mark treatment anyway. We have found that laser technology is the most effective treatment for stretch marks versus using topical products. Because stretch marks are caused when there is damage to the skin/tissue, using expensive creams and ointments typically does not offer any beneficial outcomes. Lasers differ from these types of treatments because they use light to create a themal inury. During the healing process, the body brings new collagen to the area, thus decreasing the visibility, texture and/or color of the stretch marks.
Whether your concern is the color, texture, or both of your stretch marks – class IV medical lasers offer a good option for improvement.
Living with acne can be tough. Its unpredictable nature, potential for scarring, and embarrassment it causes make it one of the hardest skin conditions to have. Celibre Medical has a safe, effective and targeted acne laser treatment program. We’ve helped many people just like you manage their acne without the use of harsh, drying topical products and medications.
Through the years, we’ve found that our program works for those with milia as well. Milia are those small, white bumps that never turn into red pimples, but never go away either. They are (in essence) clogged pores.
We discuss our options in detail with each acne and milia patient, and tailor a program that suits your particular situation. On average, our patients see improvement in their skin after just 1-2 photodynamic therapy treatments.
We have put together a presentation of one of our acne patients here for you to understand what types of treatments we offer for acne and see the kind of results that are possible:
This patient is a 13-year-old girl struggling with moderate inflammatory papules and pustules as well as numerous comedones and milia. We decided on four treatments with our Medlite q-switched laser along with weekly Blu-U light treatments to target her inflammatory acne and settle it down first.
Then, we transitioned her to Aramis laser treatments for the next half of her initial acne treatment program. As you can see from her photos, at this point, we were making good progress.
This patient is a lot like many of the acne patients. We have a broad array of treatment options for acne that includes several lasers and light therapy that specifically targets the causes of acne. In addition to what we’ve mentioned here, sometimes we’ll suggest a certain skin care regimen or series of chemical peels at the start of your acne laser treatment program to help jump-start the process of clearing your skin.
We know that acne and acne treatments can be slow and frustrating. We’ve designed an acne laser treatment program that delivers consistent results. We have many different options that can be used individually or together to help you get the clear skin you want safely in the shortest amount of time.
When done correctly, laser hair removal lasts forever. Permanent hair removal is the end goal, and in our practice, permanent removal of 75% – 95% of the hair with color and coarseness is typically achieved in 6-8 visits.
There are several factors that help determines how long laser hair removal lasts and whether or not it is permanent.
1) The type of hair matters – the type of hair is important as permanent hair removal only lasts forever when the hair we are treating has color (blond, white and red hair do not respond well). Black and brown hair work well and the thicker the hair is, the easier it is to get permanent results. On the spectrum of hair types, laser hair removal of blond fine hair (such as peach fuzz) does not work and permanent removal of thick, dark hair is fairly straightforward. The thicker and darker the hair, the more permanent the laser hair removal results you will achieve.
2) Laser technology matters – Different skin and hair types are better suited for different types of lasers, so if you want your laser hair removal to last forever, make sure to do a bit of research on which lasers would work well with your skin type. Generally speaking, for skin types I-IV (Scandinavian up to Asian, Middle Eastern and Hispanic) the Diode and Alexandrite lasers are typically used. For darker skin types V and VI (African-American and African), the Yag laser is the best choice.
3) Experience matters – The more procedures your laser hair removal practitioner has done, the higher chance you will have at getting lasting results for your treatments. Many consumers believe that laser hair removal is the same at every practice. Nothing could be further from the truth. The way the procedures are performed (energy level used, areas covered, etc.) will affect your results.
When choosing a laser hair removal practice, make sure they have experienced physicians, nurses or technicians, and laser technology that is appropriate for your skin type. Know yourself that if you have thick dark hair you are an excellent candidate and if you have blond, fine hair, you will be disappointed with the results. If you are a good candidate and find a great practice, your laser hair removal results can last forever.
Potential tattoo removal patients frequently ask this question when they call our facility, especially those who have limited time due to work constraints. While we would love be able to quote exact tattoo removal prices over the phone, in most cases it is impossible for a number of reasons.
The total cost of laser tattoo removal treatments is dependent on the cost per treatment AND the total number of treatments. We recommend our patients to visit us for a free tattoo removal consultation before we provide estimates because it is not possible to accurately assess the number of laser treatments required for tattoo removal over the phone. The biggest mistake we find our patients (and potential patients) make regarding laser tattoo removal prices is that they ask how much one treatment is rather than focusing on how many treatments the whole process will take and whether or not they will get complete removal of the tattoo.
We often treat patients that have had 2, 3, or 5 treatments at another facility only to come to ours because of lack of results. The problems may lie in the type of laser being used for the tattoo removal or the expertise of the practitioner doing the treatments. In either case, these patients have received subpar tattoo removal treatments (in most cases for cheap tattoo removal prices) and by the time they reach us are essentially starting their treatment program over. We strongly urge our patients to inquire about the experience of the facility and practitioner in providing laser tattoo removal treatments, as well as the specific type of tattoo removal lasers they will use.
Another reason we ask patients to visit the facility is that we want to have a look at the color and quality of the tattoo ink. Poor inks degrade more quickly and therefore require less laser treatments. Colors like orange, yellow, pale blue and green are more difficult to remove and require more laser treatments. For these reasons, it is always better for us to see the tattoo in person before making an accurate assesment of the what the total laser tattoo removal prices would be.
In summary, Celibre Medical bases its tattoo removal prices on the type of tattoo, the time required for the treatment, the color of the tattoo, the ink quality, and the laser used in the treatment. It is more effective to address all these factors in person rather than over the phone. In general, our laser tattoo removal costs range between $150 and $400 per treatment.
Permanent makeup is just like any other tattoo – sometimes your tastes and preferences change, and you decide that you no longer like it. If you fall into this category, it’s okay! We’ve helped thousands of people just like you who want their permanent makeup removed with laser treatment. The process is almost exactly the same as laser tattoo removal, and the delicate facial skin can be safely and effectively treated with lasers to remove permanent makeup.
One question that we are often asked is will the laser change the color of the makeup. We have seen this happen before and unfortunately, we don’t know who it will happen to prior to laser treatment because it all depends on the type of ink that was used. We can tell you (and will before we ever do your first treatment) that if a color change occurs, it happens immediately after laser treatment. The process that triggers the change is called oxidation/reduction. This is a fancy term that means the ink particles undergo a physical change during treatment, very similar to what happens when a car rusts.
Often, ink that is closer to an orange color prior to laser will darken to a grey color (see photo). But this isn’t really a bad thing, because darker colors are typically more responsive to laser treatment, so it’s often a help, not a hindrance. While other color changes are possible, you can rest assured that no matter what the color, we have a laser that can safely and effectively treat your unwanted permanent makeup.
We’ve been removing permanent makeup with laser treatment since 2008. We’re experts in the field and we’ve seen pretty much everything! Most importantly, we’ve helped our patients look and feel better about themselves and we can do the same for you.
If you’ve been doing any laser research recently, then you’ve probably come across the term “FDA-approved”. We hear this phrase over and over in our industry as it is meant to give credibility to the latest and greatest cosmetic laser technology. But, what does the term really mean? How does it impact your decision to have a certain treatment or procedure? Or should it?
First let us inform you that almost every laser manufacturing company and every laser practitioner that uses the device will tell you that it is “FDA-approved”. This tells you that the device has met certain requirements of the FDA—the United States Food and Drug Administration. It does not tell you, however, how effective the device is at treating a particular condition.
What are the requirements of the FDA for approval? They can vary, but for the most part, for a laser, the manufacturer must submit an application to the FDA stating that they intend to market the device to treat a certain condition. They also must submit one or more clinical trials done where the laser proves safe and effective in treating the skin condition indicated in the study. Only after these requirements have been met will the FDA approve a device.
So, what’s the issue? Well, the FDA-approval process has a couple inherently large flaws. First, the physicians who perform the clinical trials for the devices are generally compensated to do so by the device’s manufacturing company. They often get to use the device for free, and as a result, they are naturally biased to demonstrate positive results. This problem isn’t just in the medical device industry…it happens in all areas of medicine. Anything that needs approval by the FDA, including medications and vaccines.
The second problem is that approval is more reliant upon device safety than treatment efficacy. Take this example: if a clinical trial for a laser demonstrates that only one out of 10 people treated with it showed improvement and none of the 10 had any side effect or harm from the device, then that may still pass FDA standards. This means that the manufacturer could advertise the device as being “effective” for the condition, even though the rates of success in the clinical trials were very low. Unfortunately for consumers, the FDA looks more closely at safety than it does at efficacy.
This brings us to our final point: FDA-approved is a misnomer. The FDA simply grants “clearance” to a device. Clearance to the manufacturer to market it and sell it for use on the public. The FDA doesn’t even recognize the term “FDA-approved” because it implies that it approves of the use of a device for a particular condition. Nothing could be further from the truth. Instead of advocating for the use of the device for a condition, the FDA simply allows it to be used. Advocating and allowing are two very different things, and patients need to understand the difference when considering a treatment with an “FDA-approved” device.
No matter the semantics, the term “FDA-approved” is widely used and accepted by most laser practitioners and patients. It is important, though, to understand what that term really means. It is more of an indication of the safety of a device rather than its efficacy.
This is where consumer research and education become so important. You simply can’t rely on advertising to tell you if something works or not. You need to ask questions, be informed and learn all you can about your condition and the device that you are considering for treatment.
Pore size is partly determined by genetics. Some have large pores and some have small. Pores ize is also affected by age and generally older patients with less pliable skin will have larger pores. There are options to help improve the appearance of large pores and lasers are one.
At Celibre Medical, we use more than one laser to help improve pore size. Ultimately, stimulating the production of new collagen using heat from laser treatments is key to keeping the skin healthy, firm and elastic – all of which will contribute to improving pore size. To stimulate the production of collagen we use the Sction Profractional (fractional resurfacing) laser, the Palomar Q-Yag V (q-switched Nd:Yg) laser and the Quantel Medical Aramis (Erbium Glass) laser. All will help in the process of renewing skin via collagen stimulation.
Skin care products are also very important for the reduction of pore size and we encourage patients to consider either Retin A or Glycolic acid products during and after their laser treatment program.
We often hear this question and our response is that it varies. It depends on the type of hair you have, the type of skin you have, the amount of area to be treated and the laser to be used. We would rather see the patient in person to determine the price because it helps us set proper expectations regarding the cost, number of treatments and expected outcome. With that said, it may be possible to compare prices for laser hair removal facilities, but our caution would always be to find a practitioner with lots of experience with the procedures and the right type of laser for your skin type.
Laser hair removal before and after pictures
One of the main mistakes consumers make when choosing a practitioner for laser hair removal is that they shop for the cost of a single treatment rather than considering the total cost of laser hair removal. The total price for laser hair removal is the cost per treatment times the number of treatments. Also, it is implied when a potential patient asks us how much laser hair removal costs, that they believe that no matter which facility they go to, that the ultimate results will be the same.
This could not be farther from the truth. When a facility prices their procedures very low, they have to cut costs any way they can. Cutting back on training or expertise by hiring inexperienced nurses is one way. Using inferior and cheaper lasers is another way. And finally, a third is to rush the patient through treatment by not taking as much time or covering as much area. All of these cost cutting strategies can lead to worse outcomes, more treatments required and/or less hair removed.
Our advice to our patients and consults alike is to do lots of research. Find out what others are saying about the facility, which lasers they have and how much experience the nurses or physicians performing the treatments have. Lastly, go to several consultations. We’ve found that our patients value the trusted relationship we develop with them and the results that we deliver. The old saying “you get what you pay for” will go a long way in determining the question – what is the price for laser hair removal?
For more information on laser hair removal, go to celibre.com/laser-hair-removal
Lori Ishii Haney, RN, MEP-C
Certified Medical Laser Safety Officer
