Laser Hair Removal for Goldens Bridge, NY

Why people give up the razor

Shaving and waxing only deal with the hair you can see, so they never end. Laser hair removal works on the follicle that grows it. Light from the device is absorbed by the pigment in each follicle, which heats and is damaged enough to stop producing hair. Once a full course is finished, the reduction in the treated area is lasting, with occasional touch-ups. Along the way it brings other advantages:

• Fewer ingrown hairs, because a damaged follicle is less likely to send a hair growing back into the skin.
• Speed. Each pulse reaches many hairs at once, which makes it faster than electrolysis.
• Range. It works on small areas such as the upper lip and on large ones such as the legs, the back and the chest.

Every skin tone, with the right settings

Laser energy is drawn to dark pigment, which is why dark hair on lighter skin has always been the easiest combination to treat. Bellava uses IPL technology whose settings can be calibrated to your own pigmentation. For darker skin that means lower energy and a cooling handpiece, so the follicle is treated while the skin around it is protected from burns and from patches of altered color.

The risks, named plainly

Treated skin can be red, swollen or sensitive for a short time. Darker skin can develop darker patches if it is over-treated, and lighter skin can develop lighter ones without careful protocols, which is what the settings described above are there to prevent. Poor aftercare can lead to folliculitis bumps, so the area should be cleansed and moisturized gently. And whenever the face or upper body is treated, you wear the eye protection you are given for the whole session.

Fitting a course into your year

The usual first course is six treatments, four to six weeks apart, followed by a touch-up every six to twelve months to deal with hair from follicles that were dormant first time round. Because tanning and sun exposure have to stop four weeks before each session, the course runs for several months, so it is worth starting at a time of year when you can keep the area covered. Waxing and electrolysis also stop a month ahead; shaving the day or two before is fine and actually helps.

Your sessions are with Bellava’s licensed medical estheticians, Semira Crecco-Donnelly and Natalina McEwan. For a run of appointments like this, a short trip matters: the office is a little over four miles from Goldens Bridge, about eight minutes without traffic by I-684 and the Saw Mill River Parkway.

Goldens Bridge patients ask

What should I avoid after a session? Direct sun and any workout heavy enough to make you sweat, for 24 to 48 hours. An ice pack eases any warmth, and redness usually settles within a few hours.

Should I mention my medication? Yes. Some medications make skin more sensitive to light, so tell your esthetician what you take before the first session.

Is the first consultation free? It is. Your hair growth is assessed and a plan is set out for each area, and you can book it through Book Now.