Some people suffer from ingrown hairs related to shaving.  This may occur on the face, the underarms, or on the legs.  After the hair is cut, it may grow and circle back into the skin, causing pain, redness, and swelling.  It may also get covered over by healing skin and cause a similar problem as it tries to push its way out.  Some men have persistent redness and inflammation of the beard area because of this.

Aside from simply letting the hair grow out, the main solution for the problem of ingrown hairs is laser hair removal.  Not only are the vast majority of hairs permanently destroyed, the few that remain tend to be wispy and less able to become ingrown.  The hyperpigmentation and inflammation that occur in such areas also gradually disappear as the ingrown hair problem is resolved.  Laser hair removal typically takes 6 treatments for satisfactory clearance but probably fewer are necessary to greatly reduce the tendency to get ingrown hairs.

If you are interested in laser hair removal, please call or email us for a free consultation.

Please join us on SAT. APRIL 25TH    10AM- 6PM

There will be Food, Fun, Drawings, and Freebies!
FREE DRAWINGS FOR:
JUVEDERM

BOTOX

LASER TATTOO REMOVAL

LASER HAIR REMOVAL

FREEBIES:            MINI FACIALS OR WAXING (BY APPT. ONLY)
LIMITED SPACE – CALL EARLY TO
SCHEDULE

Please stop by the office on the party day and fill out an entry form to
be eligible for drawings.  Good Luck!!

TMD Medi-Spa now has better laser hair removal abilities than ever! With the recent acquisition of the Starlux IPL system, we now have an even stronger laser hair removal offering than before. The IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) allows us to treat even tanned and dark skin with good results. Another large advantage is that it is virtually painless. Imagine that! No anesthetic cream is required either. We hope that you come in and try our new IPL hair removal if you have been nervous about laser hair removal in the past.

At Tattoo MD, we often get patient inquiries regarding treatment during pregnancy or breast-feeding.  Patients want to know if they can get a tattoo removed during pregnancy or get Botox while breast-feeding, etc.  The answer to this is often “no,” but not for obvious reasons.  Laser tattoo removal, for instance, is avoided during both breast-feeding pregnancy.  Research has generally not been done to prove that any such procedures are not safe or vice-versa.  We generally follow the principle that if any chemicals could be produced or added that are not normally present in the body, then we avoid the procedure during this time.

For instance, laser tattoo removal breaks tattoo pigments into smaller components and mobilizes them to distant sites away from where the tattoo is.  Although it is not known whether these pigments could cross the placenta or enter breast-milk, we assume that it’s possible.  Laser hair removal by itself does not introduce any foreign chemicals but topical anesthetic cream is used, so it is avoided for that reason.  Botox injections are avoided also, although the chance of causing a problem with a fetus or nursing child is extremely low, since it has never been tested in that setting, and probably never will be.  Injectable fillers, such as Juvederm and Radiesse are composed of natural ingredients, hyaluronic acid and calcium hydroxyapatite.  However, lidocaine is injected or applied topically, so these are also not used during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

So what services can we offer during this period?  Actually, quite a few.  Microdermabrasion is completely safe.  It does not introduce anything and works on the surface of the skin.  Sclerotherapy of spider veins is also safe, since it uses natural salt water in minute amounts that are only active locally at the site of injection.  Most of the other estheticiain services, such as waxing, facials and eyelash extensions are safe, but Vi Peels are not done.

To the pregnant or nursing mothers out there – just hang in there!

Summer is here, you’re ready to head to the beach, don your swimsuit and walk around in your shorts in t-shirt. You also don’t want to be constantly shaving, so laser hair removal is just the thing for you. To make it safe, there are some precautions that are particularly important for summer laser hair removal.

The mechanism for laser hair removal works based on the hair shaft being darker than the surrounding skin and absorbing relatively much more light. This causes the hair follicle to be damaged while leaving the surrounding skin unharmed. If the skin is tanned, it may absorb too much light, making the laser hair removal either unsafe or much less effective in that circumstance.

You must avoid sun exposure and tanning, including spray-on tans prior to the procedure, so that you go in completely untanned. After the procedure, it is important to strictly avoid the sun and use sunblock on sun-exposed areas for several weeks.

At Tattoo MD Medi-Spa, the laser hair removal procedure is tailored to your specific skin and hair colors. We exercise the utmost caution to maximize safety.

Laser hair removal has become the second most popular cosmetic procedure in the United States.  It can be said that the popularity of a procedure is a testament to the value of that procedure.  With hundreds of thousands of such procedures a year, it is clear that this type of treatment has become mainstream. 

In Los Angeles, there are many types of facilities that offer laser hair removal.  There are doctors’ offices, medi-spas, and day spas or beauty salons that might offer these services.  One must be cautious when selecting a clinic for laser hair removal.  This is still a medical procedure, not a simple spa treatment.  Having a supervising doctor available ensures that treatments are done according to guidelines and that help is available in case of an unexpected outcome.  Also, laser manufacturers do not sell lasers to non-physicians.

Laser hair removal is technically laser hair “reduction.”  This is because one can never achieve “perfect” hair removal.  Small, fine hairs or the occasional straggler may be left.  Instead, the goal of laser hair reduction is 80-90% long term clearance in good candidates.  The laser works by the principle that light of a certain wavelength is selectively taken up by the hair shaft which is darker than the surrounding skin.  The light travels down the shaft and damages the hair follicle from which the hair grew.  Since only a fraction of hair follicles are actively growing hair at any one time, several treatments are needed to go through all the follicles once.  In the best candidates, 6-8 treatments will usually achieve 80-90% clearance. 

There are various laser technologies that have been used for hair removal.  The oldest is the ruby, which is not used much anymore.  In common use today are Alexandrite, YAG, and diode lasers, and Intense Pulsed Light devices.  All of these machines are know to be effective.  There are some minor differences, and studies have shown that diode and alexandrite lasers are the most effective.  Additional technologies may be rolled into the device, such as radiofrequency (RF) with the Syneron diode lasers. 

For the right candidate with realistic expectations for the procedure, laser hair removal can be both safe and rewarding.

Hyperpigmentation is a the darkening of the skin in or around a treatment site, (in this case a laser-treated site).  Increased melanin production by the melanocytes of the skin in response to thermal changes and inflammation.   Any kind of laser treatment, whether it is the kind that causes deep injury to the skin, such as a carbon dioxide laser, or a q-switched laser that sends much less energy into the skin, can cause hyperpigmentation.  By minimizing thermal damage to the normal skin, one can minimize the risk of hyperpigmenation.   It is generally temporary but recovery time can vary widely, lasting a few weeks to months.  Hyperpigmentation is not the same as scarring, although both scarring and hyperpigmentation can occur in the same location.

In a review of 3143 laser hair removal procedures on 480 patients, Lanigan showed that darker patients were more likely to be affected by hyperpigmentation.  There was a risk of 1% in the lightest skin types vs. 9.9% in the darkest.  The type of laser used affects the risk of hyperpigmentation.  In another study of 800 laser hair removal procedures, the risk of hyperpigmentation with a long-pulsed diode laser was only .25%.  Ruby lasers, on the other hand, are now no longer widely used for laser hair removal due to the higher risks of hyperpigmentation in darker-skinned patients.

Hydroquinone has been a mainstay of treatment for hyperpigmentation.   It comes in different topical concentrations (most commonly a 4% prescription-strength).  Hydroquinone is a blocker of an enzyme used in chemical reactions to create melanin from the amino acid tyrosine.  Hydroquinone is FDA-approved but does carry some precautions.  It should not be used chronically (more than 6 months) because it can lead to a different kind of skin darkening, called ochronosis.  This is not the same as hyperpigmentation.  Following prescribed instructions would keep this from being a problem.

On Wednesday, May 7, 4-8 pm, Tattoo MD Laser Clinic and Medi-Spa will be open for appointments and walk-ins.  All of our services including tattoo removal and hair removal will be available and on display.  There will be price specials on Botox, Juvederm, and Radiesse.  Jennifer, our esthetician, will be performing introductory mini-facials.  Food and refreshments will be served, courtesy of Allergan, the makers of Botox.  Stay tuned for more news as we get closer.