Tag: laser

How Laser Hair Removal Works on Different Skin Types and

How Laser Hair Removal Works on Different Skin Types and Hair Color

The effectiveness of laser hair removal is dependent upon several factors including skin type and hair color. Lesser factors include the condition of the skin, sun exposure, and the cycle of the hair.

There are four basic skin types – Caucasian European, African descent, Eastern Asian, and Middle Eastern / Mediterranean. Each of these four skin types have several things in common, such as the thickness of the dermis and epidermis, the number of hair follicles, and the skin’s layered components. However, there are many characteristics of each skin type that are very different.

Caucasian Europeans have the most varied skin type of all the groups. This group has light skin with great variation in skin color amongst the people which is determined by heredity. The people from this group are the best candidates for laser hair removal. Generally, they will need fewer treatments and attain the best results. Overall, the effectiveness of laser hair removal on individuals from this group is dependent upon a combination of their hair and skin color.

Individuals of African descent, with dark brown skin or poor candidates for laser hair removal. This is because the laser light is absorbed into the skin pigment, causing possible burns, scars, and keloids. The dark skin causes the laser beam to b drawn away from its target area.

People in Eastern Asian descent, which includes China, Japan and Korea, generally have the least amount of facial and body hair. They are usually good candidates for laser hair removal because their hair is dark, and they have minimal skin pigmentation.

Middle Eastern and Mediterranean people tend to have the most facial and body hair. Their skin color can very from dark white to medium brown. Those people with lighter skin generally make better candidates for laser hair removal. Skin bleaching agents, such as 4% hydroquinone, are sometimes used by people in this group to lighten the skin as much as possible. This is done to make the laser treatment as effective as possible and reduce the risk of burning the skin. This ethnic group has an increased risk of hyperpigmentation.

Hair color combines with skin type to further determine the effects of laser hair removal. Black or dark brown hair is usually coarser and contains the most pigmentation. These factors make it the easiest to treat because the laser light is most easily absorbed by the dark pigmentation. Lighter brown hair usually requires more treatments than darker hair. The lighter the hair color, the more difficult laser hair removal becomes. Red and light blonde hair contain phemelianin pigment which makes light absorption very difficult. Grey or white hair does not contain any pigmentation at all, therefor, they cannot absorb light. The Fitzpatrick Skin Phototype Scale and the Lancer Ethnicity Scale are used by professional technicians to determine the effectiveness of laser hair removal based on skin type and hair color.

The best combination of skin type and hair color for laser hair removal is light skin with dark hair. These people will have the best results with the least treatments.

Teeth Whitening: Do it the Professional Way

There is a popular saying that goes like, Smile and the world smiles with you. There is no doubt that a beautiful smile radiates infectiously to others. Let us put an emphasis on the word beautiful. How does one possess a beautiful smile? Of course you have to agree that heredity cannot be singled out. Lifestyle and attitude also play part in the maintenance or even having a sweet smile.

But what if you can not incorporate a do-it-yourself way to your busy lifestyle so as to have a smile makeover transform your simple smile into a rather healthy and infectious one? In this case, a professional treatment by a dentist might be the best remedy.

The following article provides an appraisal of a professional teeth whitening system usually provided and conducted by dentists.

Professional teeth whitening is a technique by which whitening compounds that are peroxide based are applied to teeth by dentists within their dental office. Laser teeth whitening is the common practice of dentist to whiten teeth stained by nicotine, food, or even liquids.

Peroxide-based whitening compounds usually depend on two factors:

1.The concentration of peroxide in a whitening compound
2.The amount of time a whitener is put in contact in the surface of the teeth

Laser teeth whitening utilize a higher concentration of whitener for a shorter period of time, say for hours or for few appointments.

The whitening compounds and associated equipment (bleaching light or laser) used by dentists are normally purchased from a manufacturer as a franchise, system, or simply as a kit. In fact, many manufacturers have provided national campaigns about their whitening products and equipment, and dentists play a vital part in the promotion of a manufacturers product because they are actually using the product to their patients.

Below is a list of some professional whitening products dentists and professionals choose. (The kind of bleaching laser or light is enclosed in parentheses.)

1.BriteSmile (gas plasma light/light emitting diode)
2.LaserSmile (a Biolase laser)
3.LumaArch (halogen light)
4.Rembrandt Sapphire (plasma arc light)
5.Zoom! (metal halide light)

Each of these whitening systems has its own degree of effectiveness. However, we can summarize three standard steps when using these types of products.

1.The dentist will compare the tooth shade of the patient with a tooth shade guide.
Surface stain and tartar are removed before determining the tooth shade. A dentist needs to document a pre-treatment and a post-treatment tooth shade to assess the effectiveness of the whitening treatment system applied. A dentist may make use of variously shaded tooth-shaped porcelain tabs and compare them to a patients set of teeth and each match is documented. Some dentists even take pictures of a patients teeth before and after the treatment.

Flour of pumice is used to polish each tooth to ensure that stains are completely removed.

2.The dentist will isolate teeth being whitened.

Bleaching agents, normally peroxide-based, can irritate or even damage delicate tissues within and inside mouth of patients. To protect these tissues, dentist use dental dam barriers.

Thin sheet of latex punched with a hole for each tooth and dental gels painted around each tooth are used to protect teeth being treated. When the latter is used, a cheek retractor, cotton rolls and gauze are used to make sure that the patients lips and cheeks are held out of the way. Afterwards, these items are simply peeled off.

3.Bib covering and eye protection are placed on the patient.

Unexpected things can happen. Bibs are worn by patients to protect their skin against the caustic nature of these bleaching agents.

Eye protection is also placed to ensure that whiteners will not irritate even the eyes of the patients. Moreover, it is a common knowledge that an intense bleaching light or a laser used to activate the components of bleaching compounds could cause eye damage.

What else can I do if I have undergone professional whitening?

To get rid off typical stainsthe coffee and cigarette varietycan be washed away alternately with professional whitening systems. Here are some additional tips:

Munch some apple and drink water afterwards.

Brush after every meal to have a less chance of keeping stains on your teeth. Brush gently but effectively by using a dentist-approved toothpaste and toothbrush. Practice the correct ways of brushing.

Researches on dentistry note that an electric toothbrush removes a plaque percentage that is about 98.2 percent.

Gargle with a mouthwash that has an antibacterial action. This practice will surely will reduce stain-catching plaque.

Dont depend on quick-fix remedies like using super-whitening tooth polishes because these also make the enamel of teeth thinner. And as enamel gets thinner, more of the dentin will show off making your teeth appear as heavily stained.

To put it simply, here are some reasons why or why not choose professional whitening systems.

1.The effect can be seen even instantly.

2.The whitening can be completed in just a few appointments (possibly even just one).

3.Professional teeth whitening remedies cost more than do-it-yourself teeth whitening items.

Hope this article brightens up your smile!

Finding a Laser Hair Removal Clinic

You want to take proper precautions when searching for a laser hair removal clinic. Some may believe if the clinic offers the procedure, they must know what they are doing. This is not always the case at all.

You want to be sure the practitioner is highly qualified to perform laser hair removal. Having an unqualified one could result in an improper procedure and an unhappy client; you.

If you think you have found a great place after only checking out one or two, look again. You want to have as many options to choose from. You want to do the extensive research of places like you would for a doctor.

After you do the research, visit the places most appealing to you. Find out if they give free consultations. Have questions ready when visiting a laser hair removal clinic. Ask them any and all questions you might have. Remember, no question is dumb!

Knowing the types of lasers they use is beneficial to you. The more you study about the lasers the more you will understand how the procedure works. Find out how long the practitioner has been in practice for laser hair removal. How many procedures has he done?

You can find a clinic using your local yellow pages or doing a search online. IF you do not mind traveling to a clinic, you could do an extensive search. You might find one you prefer the most at a location other than your own town.

When visiting a laser hair removal clinic, remember to take notes on your surroundings. Do they keep the place in clean condition? Are the people helpful and friendly? Go with your instincts on the way the place in general makes you feel. You want a clinic that you are comfortable being in. Also ask to meet the laser hair removal practitioner if possible.

If not, ask if they offer free consultations. If they do, make an appointment to meet with the practitioner. Laser hair removal is something to be carefully considered just like any other similar procedure.

Think of any questions you can before you have your consultation. Write them down in case your practitioner does not cover them all with you during your consultation. Find out how much it is going to cost you, how many sessions you are going to have. Also ask what type of side effects you could experience.

Depending on the patient having laser hair removal done and the area they choose, the side effects could easily differ. Just knowing what you might expect will make you feel more comfortable. Ask about the procedure and how it works. Can you expect to feel much pain?

How many times have they performed laser hair removal? How effective have the results been? What kind of lasers do they use? No question is too dumb when it comes to laser hair removal. You want to know all you can before proceeding with a laser hair removal treatment.

The Costs of Laser Hair Removal

Are you considering laser hair removal? Are you aware of what it could cost? It will depend on what area you want treated, the clinic you use and your region.

Are you leaning towards a practice that offers only laser hair removal? Or a practice that offers laser hair removal along with other things? Surprisingly this will have an effect on the cost you spend for laser hair removal.

You will also play a factor in the cost of laser hair removal. Do you qualify for laser hair removal? Depending on your skin color, you might not qualify.

The clinic you use will play a factor in the cost of your laser hair removal as well. The clinic might base their fees on how long the procedure takes or the number of laser pulses used. Some clinics might have packages on the area you want treated. Packages may or may not be for you.

Other clinics might base their cost of laser hair removal on the following:

Area being treated
Size of the area
How many sessions your treatment requires
How much hair is being treated

The average number of sessions for each patient is three to five. Keep this in mind when getting a consultation.

You want to find a highly recommended laser hair removal clinic. They might be a bit pricier but you will get better and more effective results. The more experienced laser hair removal clinics can average around five hundred dollars for each treatment. The average of four treatments is usually recommended by practitioners.

Large areas considered for laser hair removal, like your entire legs or back can range higher than five hundred dollars a session. Small areas like your chin might cost less. You can only know by contacting the laser hair removal clinic of your choice.

Maybe you know someone that has had laser hair removal done. You could ask them if they can recommend the clinic they used to you. If they do not recommend this place ask them why not and go by what they say in your search.

When you visit a laser hair removal clinic ask to meet with the practitioner if possible. If they are busy see if they offer a free consultation. If so, make an appointment to go in and have a chat with the practitioner. Find out all you can about the facility itself as well as the practitioner that would be operating the treatment.

You want them to be highly qualified otherwise you could end up with results that are unsatisfying. An unqualified practitioner could even damage your skin by using the wrong laser or technique during your laser hair removal treatment.

When it comes to your skin you can never be too careful and you cannot trust just anybody like you would want to do. Ask any and all questions and make sure you are comfortable. You want to go somewhere that doesn’t give you bad gut feelings or anything. This will result in a better session.