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Ditch the razor and use our laser. The average woman will spend 72 days shaving their legs over the course of a lifetime, meaning about 1,728 hours and they use 104 razors and 7,848 gallons of water each year while shaving, There are a bazillion reasons to book your free laser hair removal consult at EsthetixMD Spa & Laser Center in Bend, OR. We have a better solution. Laser hair removal provides long-lasting results without stubble or rash.

Anatomy of hair

A hair has three primary components – follicle, shaft, and bulb. The follicle is a sheath of connective tissue that extends from the epidermis (outer layer) of skin, to the dermis. At the follicle’s base is the papilla, containing tiny blood vessels that nourish cells in the hair shaft – the strand you see above the surface of skin. The bulb or root is the living part of a hair. It sits at the bottom of the follicle. The purpose of the follicle is to protect the hair shaft as it grows, and to shape it. The follicle also contains oil and scent glands.

The shaft is made of a protein called keratin, which has three layers. The cuticle is the outermost layer of overlapping scales. The pigment in hair lies in the cortex and medulla inner layers. This point is critical to laser hair removal.

Hair grows about .3 to .4 mm each day before shedding. Human shedding and regrowth are random – not cyclical like other mammals. At any time, some hairs are in the:

• Anagen or growing stage. During this two to six-year phase for scalp hair (just 30 to 45 days on other parts of the body), cells are dividing rapidly, and hair grows a centimeter every month. Only hairs in the anagen growth stage respond to laser hair removal.
• Catagen is the transition phase, also known as “club hair.” It represents about three percent of hair at any given time. This phase lasts two to three weeks.
• Telogen is the resting phase, for up to eight percent of hair. This stage lasts about 100 days, during which 25 to 100 hairs are shed daily.

Call our office for more information Call us at 541-508-7907 or Schedule an Appointment online today

Permanent hair reduction

Patients interested in freedom from daily shaving or epilation often ask, “does laser hair removal work forever?” The answer is yes, with a caveat. Hairs that fall out from laser treatment are gone forever. So, with a series of treatment sessions, all hairs are eventually addressed in the anagen growth phase, and skin becomes smooth and hair-free. However, a few dormant hair follicles may later become active. This regrowth is fine and sparse, and easily controlled with periodic touch-up sessions. Plus, follicle activity decreases with age. Thus, treatment is accurately referred to as permanent hair reduction.

About the laser hair removal procedure

Please do not wax, pluck, or have electrolysis for six weeks before laser treatment. Those practices temporarily remove the hair root, which is the target of laser energy. It is also important to avoid sun exposure, to maximize contrast between skin and hair colors.

If hair is long, it is trimmed before treatment starts. Our highly-trained and experienced clinician adjusts the laser for the color and thickness of your hair, your skin tone, and the area being treated. Your eyes are protected, and a cooling gel is applied to help the laser penetrate skin while you remain comfortable. After a few quick test pulses, treatment is carried out methodically. A small area, such as the upper lip, takes only a few minutes, while the back or legs may require an hour. Most patients describe little or no discomfort. Ice packs can be applied post-procedure, if needed. Your next treatment is scheduled in four to six weeks, and it will be repeated until hair stops growing – three to seven sessions on average.

Benefits of laser hair removal

• Safe for any area of the face or body, on men or women.
• With our modern laser, most skin types and hair color combinations can be treated effectively.
• Treatment is precise, targeting hair without damaging surrounding skin.
• Each fraction-of-a-second laser pulse treats many hairs simultaneously (about the area of a quarter), for efficient clearance.
• Treatment is well tolerated and has little or no downtime.
• Minimal risk of side effects.
• No stubble, rash, bumps, or ingrown hairs.
• It works! You enjoy sleek, smooth skin 24/7/365, without spending time on it daily.

Imagine looking well-groomed and feeling comfortable without shaving or waxing! Make it a reality with laser hair removal. We offer five different laser modalities for laser hair removal to address different skin tones and hair color with speed and efficacy. Call EsthetixMD Spa & Laser Center in Bend, OR at 541-508-7907.