Coolglide Laser Promises
Forget the well-needed downpours that we’ve been experiencing of late, summer is upon us and everything is suddenly visible, especially unwanted hair.
So, if, like 30 year- old clinical psychologist Kai Morgan (don’t we love it when medical doctors have real life problems like the rest of us) you’ve battled long and hard with unsightly facial hair, you’ll be happy to know that skin whiz Dr Althea Banbury did some successful laser shopping and has returned to Jamaica with the Coolglide ND Yag Laser (naturally FDA approved). The more on Coolglide is that it can treat all skin types, including us folks of colour.
How does it work?
The laser is attracted to the melanin that gives the hair follicle its colour, this means that the darker and coarser the hair is, the better and faster the treatment. The laser does not work on blonde or white hair.
What can the patient expect?
Since it’s laser (think Star Wars) Dr Banbury donned protective eyewear on both Kai Morgan as well as herself.
What happens next?
A strong beam of light is pulsed over veins (there’s a pedal at the doctor’s foot) delivering heat to the inside lining of the veins to seal them shut and causing them to dissolve over time.
The skin is treated with a cooling agent before and after treatment. (Note the Ziploc bag of ice)
The Pros (per Dr Banbury)
Lasers are non-invasive, don’t require needles or incisions, and are so precise that only the area being treated is affected. Treatments performed in-office, last 15-20 minutes.
The Pros (per the patient, Dr Kai Morgan)
“I’ve had this facial hair problem.I mean lumpy lesions and ingrown hair for over 10 years now and was totally exasperated having done everything.electrolysis, waxing, shaving and yes, even laser treatment (elsewhere) but to no avail. It was horrible.
“With this series however (she’s done 5) I noticed almost immediate results. There was almost no re-growth until my next treatment. I see this as a miracle.”
How many treatments will it take?
About 5-8, according to Dr Banbury but guess what? She cannot tell you this over the phone you’ve got to come in for consultation as each case is unique.
What happens after treatment?
After treatment the skin will look red and feel like a mild sunburn. This changes however, within 15 minutes to 1 hour. No immediate results will be seen on the following days after treatments. The hair will grow as usual and this is normal, it will take anywhere from 2-4 weeks for the treated hair to fall out.
Do not wax, pluck or tweeze prior to treatment. Is it painful?
“My pain threshold is extremely low,” shares Dr Morgan “so believe me when I tell you that it’s tolerable. Kind of like a prickly or stinging sensation.like a rubber band’s snapping.” What’s the cost?
J$4000 for consultation and US$300 for a series of five treatments.
And for the bikini line treatment?
Reckon on US$675 per package.
What’s next for Dr Kai Morgan?
” Hair,” shares Dr Althea Banbury, “has three different stages of growth so multiple treatments were necessary. The laser will only treat a percentage of the actively growing hairs and we have removed approximately 20-30% per treatment.
We have another session, which should result in 80-90% hair reduction. After that it’s once a year for Kai Morgan.”
A beaming Morgan tells Essence of Style that “I’m happy with where I already am.”
Other summer laser skin solutions include:
Treatment of spider veins.
Be Warned
As with all medical procedures there are risks attached so here’s some of what’s on the waiver form:
The probability of success
The laser disables the growing follicle but not dormant hair follicle.
Each treatment results in the destruction of a percentage of all hair follicles. Several treatments may be required to remove all the hair and this might be prolonged and even permanent.
However, some patients may not experience complete hair loss even after multiple laser procedures. Results depend on skin and hair type.
Mild pain may be experienced during laser treatment. Most people tolerate the procedure well, but some may need a topical anesthetic cream.
Healing – laser surgery may result in swelling, blistering, crusting or flaking of the treated area, which may require 1-3 weeks to heal.
Once the surface is healed, it may be pink and sensitive to the sun for an additional 2-4 weeks or longer in some patients. Only a small percentage of patients will have this problem.
Eye Exposure – protective eyewear will be provided during the procedure. It is important to keep these shields on at all times during the treatment in order to protect your eyes from accidental laser exposure.
Special thanks to Dr Kai Morgan
