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CBS National News Laser hair removal, what patients need to know

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*individual results with a specific laser may vary. Each laser has its own advantages and weaknesses, and each laser is not right for all individuals or treatment areas. If you are curious about which lasers are right for your laser hair removal, please call us to schedule a complimentary consultation at (973) 740-2444.

If you’re looking for the best laser hair removal in NJ or anywhere across America, there are a few things you should know. Dr. Chasin discusses the keys to getting a safe and effective laser hair removal treatment.

His recommendations for finding a great provider for laser hair removal:

  • Be treated by a physician, or have them direct a nurse with specific settings for your treatments, which should be reviewed by the doctor between each treatment. Nurses and laser techs who operate on their own rarely have the knowledge of underlying laser physics to make treatments as safe and effective as a physician who specializes in lasers.
  • Make sure you’re seeing a physician who focuses on lasers, and who invests in their own knowledge of lasers. Don’t see a doctor who does this on the side, or as an adjunct to their main practice. The best laser doctors spend all day focused on lasers, they’re just that complex.
  • Look for providers with several lasers in their office, and ask which lasers are right for your skin type and hair type – if they have 1 or 2 lasers they use for everyone, that’s a big red flag.

Questions to ask your provider:

  • How new is the laser you’re recommending for me?
  • How does it cool the skin?
  • What skin types is this laser designed for? (skin types 1-6)

You want a provider who has new machines that they are getting serviced regularly. Cooling is an important part of the laser hair removal process and helps prevent skin color changes (dark spots and white spots called hyperpigmentation and hypopigmentation). The best lasers offer either cooling plates or cryogen cooling spray, which quickly remove the heat from the skin. Finally, ask about the laser’s best use – i.e. who does this particular laser work best for? Is it light skin with dark hair? Well, if you’ve got olive skin or Asian skin or darker skin, that’s not the right laser for you. Also, avoid IPL for hair removal – it’s less effective than true lasers. For example, we own the Starlux IPL, and we love this machine for IPL, but it does come with a hair removal attachment. It’s not a good treatment for removing hair – it does work, but much, much slower than using the right laser. That means more treatments, more time, and more cost for the patient – plus more chances for things to go wrong.

For more info on what you can do to prep for your laser hair removal treatments, to make them as effective and comfortable as possible, please visit our blog Prep for Laser Hair Removal Like a Pro.

We warmly welcome you for a free consultation with one of our cosmetic laser physicians to discuss laser hair removal. Call our offices at (732) 356-1666 to schedule.