Every rule starts at the follicle

Laser hair removal arrives with a list of instructions: shave but do not wax, stay out of the sun, come back for touch-ups. On their own they can look arbitrary. In fact they all follow from how the treatment works. Light from the device is absorbed by the pigment in each hair follicle, which heats up and is damaged enough to stop producing hair, while the skin around it is left alone. Keep that picture in mind and each rule explains itself.

The rules, and the reasons

Shave a day or two before. Shaving takes off the hair above the surface but leaves the follicle and its pigment where they are, which is exactly what the light has to reach.
Give up waxing and electrolysis a month ahead. Both disturb the follicle itself, and that makes the laser less effective.
Four weeks clear of the sun and tanning beds. This protects the skin from damage and complications when it is treated.
Arrive with clean skin, with no lotion, makeup or powder on the area.
Mention every medication. Some make the skin more sensitive to laser light.
Wear the eye protection you are given throughout any upper-body treatment.
For a day or two afterwards, keep out of direct sun and skip exercise hard enough to make you sweat. Any redness or swelling usually settles within hours, and an ice pack helps.

Why it is a course, not a visit

Bellava’s usual starting plan is six treatments, spaced four to six weeks apart. Treated hairs begin to shed after the first couple of sessions, and the best reduction tends to appear around the fourth or fifth. Once the course is done, a touch-up every six to twelve months deals with the new hair that dormant follicles go on producing. How many treatments you need in total depends on the area, how thick the hair is, your ethnicity and your hormones.

Where skin tone comes in

The contrast between dark hair and lighter skin is what the laser finds easiest. Bellava’s IPL technology lets the settings be adjusted for darker skin as well, with lower energy and a cooling handpiece, so the follicle is treated while the skin around it stays protected. Unwanted darker or lighter patches are the risks those settings are tuned to avoid.

Who treats you, and the drive

Treatments are carried out by Bellava’s licensed medical estheticians, Semira Crecco-Donnelly and Natalina McEwan. A course means several trips, so it helps that central Chappaqua is about nine miles from the office by road, around 15 minutes without traffic, and that Saturday appointments run from 10 am to 2 pm.

New Castle patients ask

Which areas can be treated? The face, from upper lip to sideburns; underarms, hands and fingers; the legs down to the feet; the bikini area; and the back, chest and shoulders.

How long does a session last? From about 15 minutes for an upper lip to an hour for full legs or a back.

Is the first consultation free? Yes. Your hair growth pattern is assessed and a plan made for you.

Can I book online? Yes. Press Book Now to schedule a consultation or a session.

Laser Hair Removal for New Castle, NY