Question:
I have collected a few articles about the lazer hair removal technique,
where the carbon based creme is applied to the hairs. Does anyone have any
information on this technique re;cost, success etc. and is it available in
Ontario Canada or New York state?
Answer:
-I would also be very interested in this. I've been going thru
the traditional needle electrolysis for the last year (2 hours a week)
and it looks like it'll be another year before my face is completely
cleared. My doctor has told me there is a new laser technology, but
he doesn't know anything about it, nor does my current electrolysist.
Would love to learn more, especially if it is available in the
Philadelphia area.
-I have done extensive research into the various laser hair removal systems
on the market, and have concluded that none of them provide permanent
results. The U.S. FDA has allowed four laser hair removal systems to be
marketed, but none are allowed to claim anything other than temporary
hair removal. Specifically, they may not claim "permanent", "long-term",
or "painless" results.
The system you refer to in your post, is called SoftLight, and it is
manufactured
by Thermolase, a subsidiary of Thermotrex. It is mentioned in the Sep'96
issue of FDA Consumer Magazine, in an article called Hair Today, Gone
Tomorrow. It can be found at this URL:
http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/796_hair.html
In it, you will see that FDA states that Thermotrex, "can claim that its
laser
process causes hair reduction for up to three months after treatment."
Beware of false and misleading claims by many of the clinics that offer
SoftLight or other laser hair removal treatments. I have called quite a few
of them, and I have yet to find one that told the unvarnished truth about
treatment outcomes. A common line is that they, "hope that permanence
will be achieved with multiple treatments", but none have been cleared
by FDA to claim permanence regardless of treatment program.
Also, they love to tell consumers about how hair grows in cycles, so
multiple
treatments are required to achieve optimal results. Well, hair does grow in
cycles, but scam hair removal devices take advantage of the phenomenon
to con clients into accepting re-growth as new hair.
You might also want to check out this web page on Laser Hair Removal,
on the MarketPlace web site. I gather that you are Canadian, so perhaps
you are aware of this respected consumer affairs program. This web
page was derived from a laser expose broadcast on 11 March 1997:
http://www.tv.cbc.ca/market/files/health/laserhair.html
The web page does not mention the name of the clinic that was making
bogus claims about the "Harvard study", but the broadcast did - it was the
Laserderm clinic in Toronto, which offers Epilaser treatments. Epilaser
does
not provide materially better results than SoftLight. By the way, I have
the
same clinic on audio-tape, making the same claim to me, so I know the
TV program was accurate.
If you want temporary hair removal, waxing is 10 to 20 times cheaper than
laser, and lasts about as long. For permanence, needle electrolysis is
your only choice.
