Hair Removal

Can you treat problem hairs on my face?

YES! We specialise in treating problem facial hair and have made a lot of women across Highland and Moray and beyond very happy indeed

How long will my hair removal take and how much will it cost?

Our standard estimate for full hair removal is 6 to 8 treatment sessions. This is based on treatments every 8 weeks or more. If you choose to have your treatments closer together you will get faster results but it may take more sessions. Treatment typically takes a year.

Please see Prices for costs.

Why is the Highland Laser Clinic Technology better than IPL or other systems?

Diode lasers are typically swept back and forth across the skin to build up heat in the hair follicles in an attempt to destroy them. IPL uses a powerful broadband pulse of light similar to a large camera flash to heat the hair follicle. Both these approaches are quite inefficient and lead to unnecessary heating of your skin and pain. Our Quanta Duetto platform uses two pulsed native lasers simultaneously or individually in a very short flash to destroy the hair follicle.

Full removal is unlikely with IPL and diode lasers. Typically the hair grows back thinner and lighter than before and becomes resistant to treatment. Continued attempts to remove may cause paradoxical hair growth, where the treatment actually stimulates hair growth! If you have been left in this situation, we can help.

Will I get full removal?

Probably. Dark hair responds very well to treatment and you should genuinely have full removal in 6 to 8 sessions if you have black hair or if you’re brunette. Very blonde, red, grey and white hair is more challenging because it doesn't absorb the laser energy so well. Full removal may not be possible but significant reduction is likely.

Will my hair grow back again later?

Possibly. Hormonally driven hair growth may lead to new hair follicles forming. This is often seen with men, and with female facial hair. Maintenance treatments every 6 to 12 months depending on the individual may be required in this case. Long term removal would be expected for the majority of female hair growth on legs, arms, underarms etc, but there are always exceptions to this and it does grow back in some cases.

Does it hurt?

There is a wee bit of discomfort but most people tolerate it very well. We use a powerful cold air blower attached to the laser head which chills your skin as it works and makes the treatment much less uncomfortable.

Can you remove hair from dark skins?

Yes. Our hair removal system has two laser sources, one particularly good at removing light hair on light skins, and one great at removing dark hair on dark skins. We can use them together or individually to get results regardless of your skin type. Unfortunately due to the terms of our insurance, we are unable to offer hair removal on Fitzpatrick type 5 and 6 skin.

Why doesn’t the laser clear all the hair the first time round, why do I need repeat treatments?

Ah, very good question. Some hairs need more than one hit to destroy them. But more importantly, there are 3 phases in the lifecycle of a hair. Anagen is when the hair is actively growing, this is when it’s most vulnerable to treatment. Catagen is when the hair stops growing and is resistant to treatment. Telogen is a dormant state when the hair falls out naturally and is untreatable during this phase. Telogen can last up to a year. Each individual hair is on its own wee cycle, so we need to keep coming back to hit them at different times to catch them all in the anagen phase.

Why am I only allowed to shave before and between treatments?

The laser needs to target some hair in the follicle. We call this target the chromophore. This absorbs the energy and transmits it down to the growth area of the follicle known as the dermal papilla so that it can be destroyed. If we can kill the dermal papilla then that hair follicle will essentially heal up and disappear. If you wax, pluck or thread, you pull the entire hair shaft out and there is no target for the laser to attack. The hair will just grow back again. You are basically forcing the hair follicle into the Telogen phase which is when it’s untreatable.

Wait a minute, so if I’m a lady with problem hair on my face, this means I have to SHAVE MY FACE?

Yes. We appreciate this is a little weird, but we need that hair in the follicle so that we can destroy it and make it go away. You may choose to start treatment after just 4 weeks of shaving, and have your first few sessions at 6 week intervals to get on top of the problem and minimise the number of times you need to reach for the razor.

We recommend 8 week intervals for maximum bang per buck, or 6 week intervals for faster results - but this might mean you need more treatment sessions in the long run.

You can use an electric razor, such as the Flawless device, or a more conventional razor. We recommend quality blades changed regularly. Aldi do excellent 4 bladed razors at a great price. Shaving can stimulate hair growth, to minimise this scissoring can be used to cut the problems hairs. 

Do I need to grow my hair out?

No, it needs to be nice and short please. You might be used to growing hair out for waxing, but this is definitely not the case with laser. Please shave a day or two before. Shorter hair will give you less discomfort during your treatment, faster recovery and more effective results.

I have lots of tiny little hairs on my face, can you get rid of them? 

This is known as vellus hair or peach fuzz and almost everyone has it to some extent. Laser treatment is not appropriate for this and we would recommend dermaplaning from a reputable practitioner in this case.

I am undergoing gender reassignment - can you help?

Yes we can. Beginning hormone therapy before you begin laser treatment will reduce regrowth, but you can start before if you choose to. We have clients coming from quite far afield to benefit from our trans friendly service.

How soon can I wear make-up?

For facial hair removal you can wear makeup the next day. It’s VERY important not to have ANY product of ANY kind on your skin on the day of treatment. You need to be properly cleansed of all make up, preferably in the shower so all traces are removed. We will refuse treatment for safety reasons if we see product on your face. This also applies to self tanning products.

What are the side effects and risks?

The main risk from this treatment are associated with having make up or other product on your skin (see above). This makes burns and associated problems likely and must be avoided at all costs. Absolutely no fake tan allowed!

The other thing that significantly increases risk factors is being tanned. No sunbeds please! Wear sunblock. If you’re too tanned we will have to reduce power which may give you less effective treatment, or defer you to a later date.

Other side effects and risks are really quite minimal and problems are rare. This is an extremely safe treatment. You will get a wee bit of redness for a few hours, and some follicular oedema where hair follicles that have reacted well to treatment swell slightly. We will go through all of this at your consultation before you decide whether to proceed to patch testing.