News Roundup – Laser Hair Removal

State Senator Denise Grimsley is fighting to ensure laser hair removal is safer and limited to the hands of highly qualified professionals. If Senator Grimsley’s bill becomes law, tougher regulations would be put in place regarding who can administer laser hair removal treatments. Her proposal would require the licensed electrologists who use laser hair removal devices to receive specific training and attain certification from the Board of Medicine. Laser hair removal is growing rapidly in popularity, and Senator Grimsley hopes to elevate standards in the industry and therefore promote patient safety with this legislation.

Laser hair removal is proving to have honorable uses beyond smoothing out bikini lines. Military amputees are benefiting greatly from these treatments which help to improve skin problems often associated with wearing a prosthesis. Active Duty dermatologist have found that even as little as one laser hair removal treatment can cut down sweating and irritation and reduce slippage where the residual limb meets the prosthetic device. In turn, these physical improvements have translated to an overall improvement in quality of life for these veterans, thanks to a reduction in stress and frustration commonly associated with wearing a prosthesis.

Every year, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons releases its statistics, and the numbers for 2015 are in. Laser hair removal ranks fourth among all nonsurgical procedures, with over 1.1 million procedures performed in 2015. This popular option for permanent hair removal has exploded in popularity with 52 percent more procedures in 2015 compared to 2000. The dramatic increase is arguably attributed to laser hair removal becoming more mainstream, accessible and affordable over the last decade.

Unfortunately, the wonderful benefits of laser hair removal have been considered off-limits to those with dark skin for decades. However, thanks to advances in laser technology, dark-skinned people can now enjoy beautiful LHR results. Laser type is key, and only Diode or Nd-Yag lasers should be used on darker skin in order to reduce the risk of burns and deliver the best results. These new lasers reduce the risk of burning, which is a risk associated with traditional lasers and dark skin. Patients with dark skin should do their homework in finding a qualified laser technician and ask plenty of questions to ensure the proper laser is being used. A patch test is also recommended to verify how the skin will react before a full treatment.