The sensation
Here are the factors
- The area treated. Some regions of the face and body experience more discomfort. These are areas with a higher nerve concentration.
- The density of the hair is another factor. The more hair growing in a spot, the more heat will be generated..
- The coarseness of the hair being treated,
- The power setting being used.
- The individual sensitivity factor.
The type of sensation may be compared to snapping of a rubber band on your skin, or you may feel heat. It may be less sharp and lingering than electrolysis.
Analgesics are rarely necessary with the Gentle Max Pro. The reason is that a little burst of compressed gas chills each spot before it receives the laser pulse. We also use a large spot size to move move over sensitive areas very quickly.
Other concerns
Immediate
Immediately after a treatment, the follicles are somewhat reddened and raised due to edema. This effect dissipates quickly and rarely visible the next day.
Tanning
The area should not have been sun exposed prior to treatment. Heat can remain in the epidermis for a time after getting a lot of sun and all heat should have cleared before a treatment. It’s the same after a treatment. Allow your skin to totally normalize before hitting the beach. If you love your skin darkly tanned, as long as you have been out of the sun for a week, you can be treated. We will adjust our treatment settings. The nd Yag wavelength of the GMax Pro makes treating darker skins safe and effective.
Hyperpigmentation
Some skins are prone to hyperpigmentation from the sun. You know your skin. If you freckle up in the summer time or always heal with a little extra pigmentation after a topical irritation, make sure you use 50+ sunscreen for your face, before and after laser treatments.
Individuals may be a higher risk if they are on certain photo-sensitizing medications such as Acutane or Retinols. If you are receiving medication, we need to know.
Pregnancy
Is laser contraindicated during pregnancy? There is a consensus that any type of therapeutic laser can be safely provided to pregnant women. Because hair growth is often hormonally diminished during pregnancy, these delayed hairs may need to be treated if they return after the course of laser has been completed.
