Transgender Hair Removal

How Laser works?

• Gentle burst of laser light
• Penetrates into the skin to the root of the hair
• Targets the brown pigment (melanin) in the hair shaft
• The hair absorbs the light energy and converts it to heat
• Thus heating up the follicle
• And disabling the hair growth mechanism
• Thermal damage to key structures:
  • bulb, bulge, vascular supply
• Hair regrowth is impeded
• Depigmentation
• Follicle remains intact but miniaturized
• Conversion of terminal to vellus hair
• Laser only targets hair in the anagen (growth) phase
• And only a certain % of the hair is in anagen at any one time
• So several treatments will be required

The hair growth cycle?

In order to understand Laser Hair Removal for Transgender clients, you need an understanding of the Hair Growth Cycle.
The Hair growth cycle has three distinct growth phases. These are known as the:

• Anagen:   Active growth phase
• Catagen: Regressive phase
• Telogen:   Resting phase

Special Note: It is ONLY during the active growth ‘Anagen’ phase that Laser can permanently disable hair growth. The follicle has the most pigment and blood supply in the Anagen stage making a good target for the Laser.

• The cycle for Facial Hair renews every 4 weeks
• The cycle for Body Hair renews every 6 weeks
• The cycles for each hair is not syncronised, it is because this that we recommend having multiple treatments & at the correct time for optimal results. ie. Every 4 weeks for Face & 6 weeks for Body treatments.

Which skin colours can be treated?

• We are able to treat all Transgender skin types including dark skin, using our selection of Advanced Laser Hair Removal systems.
• The Fitzpatrick table puts Skin Types into 6 different classifications,
  • Skin Type 1 to 6: Skin Type 1 being very pale with freckles, easily burn with Skin Type 6 being Black and not burn easily.
• The Fitzpatrick table measures 2 components, Genetic disposition and Reaction to sun exposure.
• The table tells us which Laser equipment and parameters to use for particular skin type.

• The best Transgender clients for hair removal are light skin and dark hair.
• Lighter Transgender skin types have the least melanin, therefore, will heat up less and higher energies can be used.
• Darkest Transgender skin types have the most melanin, therefore, will heat up more and lower energies will need to be used.
• With our experience, we can treat all skin types including dark with effective results.

Who will Laser Hair Removal benefit?

• Transgender clients who want to get rid of excess dark hair growth and are prone to suffer from ingrown hairs.
• You will benefit if you find traditional methods of hair removal difficult or inconvenient ad would like a quick and permanent solution for hair reduction.
• Laser Hair Removal is perfect if you desire smooth, soft skin after hair removal as laser treatments will ensure that rough, dry skin becomes a thing of the past.
• All skin types are suitable for Laser Hair removal including dark skin. Our Nd:YAG Lasers are perfect for safe usage on darker skin types.
• The golden rule for Laser Hair Removal is that the hair needs to be darker than the skin, the darker the hair the better. Unfortunately, we cannot treat white/grey, blonde or red hairs.
• Your medical history will be taken at the consultation in order to check you are medically suitable to have the treatment performed.

Consultation & Patch Test?

• You will undergo a full consultation with a full medical check and we will take into account any Hormone treatment you are undertaking.
• If you are suitable for the treatment, A patch test will be performed on a small section on each different body areas you want treating.
• The Patch Test provides us the optimal temperature for your skin and checks the sensitivity of your skin.
• You are required to wait for a minimum of 1 – 2 weeks for darker skins before your first session.
• The purpose of the patch test is to highlight any adverse reactions you may have to the treatment.
• We charge £20.00 for the Patch Test which is refundable against your first session.

How will the Laser Hair Removal be performed?

There are 3 main steps involved in a typical Laser Hair Removal session:

• The hair should be shaved prior to the treatment. We need the hairs to be as short as possible to make the treatment more effective & as comfortable as possible.
• The area will be wiped & marked out.
• The area will be treated with a laser applicator, with a built-in cooling device to ease pain & reduce sensitivity.
• At the end of your session cooling Aloe Vera Gel & Sun Protection (if necessary) will be applied.

Do I have to grow my hair for the treatment?

• You should have short visible hair when you come for a consultation so we can better advise you on you hair type & suggest the most appropriate treatments.
• There is no need to grow your hair out for regular treatments; you may shave as many times as you wish, this will not affect the results.
• The following methods are suitable for removing hair:

1. Shaving – removing the hair by using a blade.
2. Trimming – removing the hair by the use of a machine to cut the hairs; or
3. Hair Removing Creams – removing the hair by applying a non-invasive cream that removes the hair without it affecting the follicle.

• The following methods should not be used to remove hair:

1. Bleaching – Lightening the hair using harsh chemicals.
2. Epilating – removing the hair, including the follicle, by a pulling motion. Included in this are Waxing, Epilating Machines, Plucking, Threading, Tweezing and more.

Is the treatment painful?

• For the laser to successfully work you need enough heat to destruct or disable the hair follicle. This means you should feel a small amount of heat and most clients tolerate this well.
• Our ice cool technology makes the treatment comfortable by providing cooling before, during and after the procedure.
• The treatment is far less painful than Electrolysis.
• We may also recommend a numbing cream for very sensitive areas such as Face and Genetalia.

How long will it take?

• Treatment times vary according to equipment used, Size of area and comfort of the patient.
• Treatment on a full face can take as little as 30 minutes.
• Treatment on the under arms will take 15 minutes whereas full legs will take up to an hour or longer depending on the surface area.

How many treatments will I require?

• The number of treatments are dependant on the individual.
• The number of treatments is also dependant on medical background & hormonal changes in the body.
• Some clients are happy after 6 sessions; whereas some people will desire more. It is important to note that maintenance sessions will be required.
• Usually, woman’s faces require more treatments than bodily areas. Women are predisposed to grow new hair on the face as they get older. Hormones, menopause & medication all increase growth.
• Areas like legs, bikini & under arms are 95% successful because women are predisposed to lose hair in these areas as they get older.

How often do I come in?

• During the initial 6 treatments, we recommend treatments very 4 weeks for the face & every 6 weeks for the body areas.
• After the initial 6 treatments, the time between treatments varies from client to client.

After care products

• We will recommend products to enhance your skin and give a clear complexion.
• The main after care products we recommend is an Anti-oxidant serum and a sun protection cream with a moisturiser and light mineral makeup, that hydrates, protects and evens out the skin tone.

What result can I expect from the treatment?

• Significant Hair Reduction in the treatment area.
• Finer softer Hairs.
• Less pigmented Light colour Hairs.
• Eradication of thick coarse Terminal Hairs.
• Eradication of Ingrown Hairs.
• Smoother Softer Baby Skin. Laser is proven to improve skin texture, heating up the dermis stimulates collagen production.

Are there any Possible side effects?

Temporary Side Effects

• After the treatment you may have temporary erythema (redness) or temporary per-follicular oedema (swelling/bumps).
• Any initial reactions should settle down within a 48 hour period.
• Aloe Vera Gel and cool/ice packs should be used to reduce irritation.

Rare Side Effects

• The following side effects are very rare and can be avoided by following aftercare advice:
• Hyper-pigmentation (darkening of the skin) and Hypo-pigmentation (lightening of the skin) can be avoided by ensuring that you use sun protection cream and avoid Laser treatment when the skin is tanned.
• It is also possible, but highly unlikely that the light intensity may generate light blistering or crusting of the skin that may cause temporary scabbing. These expected conditions are known and recognised, and will resolve themselves in a relatively short time.