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Q. What happens at consultation?

A. Consultations are free of charge and are with one of our friendly, fully qualified aestheticians. This will take roughly 45 minutes, and we will discuss your medical history, assess the area, and discuss your expectations. Should you wish to proceed to treatment, we are required to complete a patch test to the area and there is a charge of £30 for this. A patch test limits the risk of complications or side effects, and ensures we’re using the right settings for your skin and hair type.

Q. What is the patch test, and does it hurt?

A. The patch test is just as it sounds, a test patch of treatment to the area. The same as hair salons patch test hair dye prior to treatment, we test the area we’re treating. This is usually between 4-10 shots in the area for treatment. This gives you an indication of what to expect during treatment, and allows us to tailor your treatment for you as an individual.

Q. How soon after the patch test can I have treatment?

A. This depends on a few factors, such as your skin and hair type, your medical history and any medications you might take. As a rough guide, treatment can commence after 48hours – 1 week after having your patch test. In rare cases we might suggest leaving 4 weeks between the patch test and your first treatment – this would be discussed with you at consultation.

Q. How long should I leave in between treatments?

A. This depends on the area being treated. We would suggest 4 weeks as a minimum gap between treatments (for face, underarms) an average of 6 weeks for some other areas (bikini, abdo) and up to 8 weeks for other areas (back) but your practitioner will advise you what is most suitable for you as an individual.

Q. How many treatments will I need?

A. This really depends on what you want to achieve, but on average most people require between 6-8 treatments to achieve permenent hair reduction. Many factors influence hair growth – age, ethnicity, weight, metabolism medication and hormones all play a part where and when hair grows. Following your consultation and patch test, you will be advised of realistic expectations.

Q. Does it hurt?

A. Laser hair removal is a gentle, non-invasive process and requires no anaesthetic. Most people feel nothing more than a slight warmth or tingling sensation.

Q. Is the treatment safe?

A. Yes. The Laser Clinic Ltd provides you with safe, effective and proven technology. All treatment is carried out by fully qualified aestheticians who have extensive laser experience and hold the BTEC Advanced Award in laser and IPL applications.

Q. How long will a treatment take?

A. This really depends on the area being treated, but you might find the information below helpful. Please note this is a guide only, and times might differ with individuals. Treatment  itself should take less time, this is indicative of the duration of the appointment only:

Top lip: 15 mins

Full Face: 30 mins

Back: From 30 mins

Legs (full) From 1 hour.

Underarms and bikini: 30 mins

Q. Why can’t I have a sun tan?

A. The reason we cannot treat anyone with either an active suntan, a fake tan, or a tan obtained from a sunbed is because the laser would target the colour in your skin AS WELL as the hair. This increases your risk of blistering, buring and pigmentation changes.

Q. Is there anywhere that cannot be treated?

A. Yes, we cannot treat any internal hairs – for example nostrils and ears. Please note – the area immediately surrounding the eye is unsuitable for treatment.

Q. Is it suitable for men and women?

A. Yes, men find it particularly beneficial for excessive facial and back hair. And we offer a discrete ‘out of town’ service which is still close to Swindon town centre and Old Town – laser hair removal is becoming the preferred choice for both men and women.

Q. Is it suitable for all hair colours?

A. No – the laser will not effectively treat white, grey or red hair as there is insufficient pigment. If you have white, grey or red hair, Electrolysis will treat it effectively.

Q. Do I need to prepare the area?

A. Not for consultation. We ask that when attending your consultation you leave the hair as it is – this can be difficult when you’re coming to talk about facial hair and so we ask that if you can’t leave the hair you shave the area.

Q. Can I shave inbetween treatments?

A. Yes! We ask that you do. If you remove the hair with methods such as waxing or bleaching, this can make laser and IPL treatments ineffective. A growth of about 2mm is ideal for treatment – this usually means shaving the night before or the morning of your appointment, depending on when your appointment is. You don’t have to shave inbetween treatments if you don’t want to, but shaving or clipping are the only methods of hair removal that we can advise whilst having treatment.

Q. How much is treatment?

A. The patch test – which is required before ALL treatment is £30. The prices for individual treatments can be found at Prices Please note these prices are per treatment.

Q. What is the aftercare advice?

A. We will give you written and verbal aftercare advice at your appointment. If for any reason, you are unsure of the aftercare advice, please call us on 01793 686486 or email us at info@swindonlaserclinic.co.uk

Q. Can I have more than one area treated at a time?

A. Of course! The most popular combinations are underarms and bikini, and top lip and chin, although other combinations are also popular. Please ask for details and prices.

Q. Will the hair disappear during the treatment?

A. No. The hair will fall out about a week after treatment, during the growth faze of the hair cycle. When you leave, the hair will look pretty much the same as when you came in. The area may be red afterwards, but this usually fades quickly.

We hope that this covers any questions you may have. Should you wish to discuss any of this any further, then please contact us for a free consultation.

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At The Laser Clinic we are proud to offer clinically proven, safe and effective treatment of unwanted hair with the Lynton Lumina. The Lynton Lumina is a class IV medical laser.

We can offer both Laser and IPL hair removal – not many people know the difference between the two.

LASER is an acronym of Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Laser is a singular beam of light, which heats up the hair follicle and destroys it.

IPL stands for Intense Pulsed Light, and delivers a series of bursts of light over milliseconds that heat the hair follicle and destroy it.

Laser Vs IPL

Which is better? Well, there is no conclusive answer on this – there are too many variables between individuals to provide a fair analysis.

We are able to offer both, although we see the same results with both mechanisms, although treatment with the IPL is generally less time consuming and so therefore the preferred method. There are a lot of myths that IPL isn’t as good as laser – the most accurate way to describe the efficiency of treatment with either Laser or IPL is that it is mainly dependant on the quality of the machine being used, and the parameters used.

We use only the gold standard of equipment to ensure you see maximum results. All consultations are with fully qualified aestheticians who will be able to assess the area for treatment, your medical history and your aims and expectations from treatment. From this point, a treatment plan can be made for you as an individual.

Treatment is performed by fully qualified aestheticians with a wealth of knowledge and experience. Our clinicians have not only completed the mandatory Core of Knowledge training, but have also under taken training with Lynton as well as attending regular clinical updates, and hold certificates in advanced laser and IPL applications as well as the well-recognised BTEC.

Treatment

After your consultation and patch test, you will be advised of the most suitable time to return for your first treatment.

When you return for your first treatment, we ask that you return with the treatment area shaved. A cool clear gel will be applied to the treatment area, and glasses will be provided for you to protect your eyes from the light. The IPL is then rested on the skin, and the pulses administered to the treatment area.

Treatment is relatively quick – for example, underarms take roughly 5 minutes to treat. During treatment you will feel some warmth, and the level of discomfort associated with this is dependent on your own personal pain threshold, and the location of treatment.

After treatment, the area will appear red and in some cases a little ‘bumpy’ – this is the body’s way of trying to release some of the heat absorbed by the hair. By the time you get home, the majority of the redness should subside and nothing more than a mild warmth is commonly reported.

How does it work?

We select parameters dependant on your skin and hair colour, and your tolerance. Light is easily directed through the cool gel into the skin and then absorbed by hair within it. Over a series of bursts of light, the hair is heated to a point of obliteration which destroys its ability to regrow whilst being gentle to the surrounding skin.

Hair has three growth phase cycles. If the hair is in the anagen (growing) phase (which can be up to approximately 40% of all hairs in any one area are at any one time) then the hair will not return. However, if the hair is in either of the other two phases (catagen, resting or telogen, dying) then the hair will return. Often, hair that has been treated in the catagen or telogen phase comes back slower and finer.

The average amount of treatments for dramatic and successful reduction of hair is between 6-8 treatments, but this can be more or less dependent on your individual circumstances and expectations for treatment.

IPL and Laser cannot be called permanent hair removal, as the treatment has not been around long enough for reliable clinical trials although the results look promising. Treatment with Laser or IPL can be called permanent hair reduction, which means there will be permanently less hair there than there previously was. The longevity of treatment success also depends on the area for treatment, as facial hair is commonly linked to hormones and can increase in growth rates throughout pregnancy and the menopause when there is a surge in hormones.

Results

Results can typically be seen after just one treatment, although this is different for each individual. Frequently is it reported that hair takes longer to regrow, and regrows finer making shaving easier. It is often remarked that there is less irritation and/or ingrowing hairs after just one treatment.

For more information, please Call: 01793 686486, Email: info@swindonlaserclinic.co.uk or Pop in and see us!

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