Some people wonder why OB/GYN practices offer LHR. Isn’t it the realm of plastic surgeons and dermatologists?

For gynecologists laser hair removal is a natural transition and a perfect fit as they can perform these procedures in discrete areas of the female body in a comfortable setting of a medical office. Permanent reduction of hair in women care clinics also tends to be more affordable as these treatments are typically focused on small areas and can be combined with regular office visits.

How does laser remove hair?

Highly controlled flashes of laser beams are selectively absorbed by hair follicles lying below the surface of the skin. The absorbed light heats the hair, which damages and destroys the regrowth potential of the follicle- all without damaging surrounding tissue. Hair follicles are usually in different growth cycles at different times in relation to one another. Since the follicle must in active growth in order to be affected by the laser, several treatments spread over several months are required to assure the destruction of all hair follicles.

Areas treated: bikini area, underarms, and face.

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Doctors Arielle N. B. Kauvar from New York Laser & Skin Care and E. Victor Ross, M.D., director of laser and cosmetic dermatology, Scripps Clinic, San Diego, provided a quick overview of different aesthetic lasers for medical practice in this article published by Modern Medicine yesterday.

The overview is a good basic briefing on most of the laser modalities, applications and what different types of lasers have to offer. Dr. Ross is one of the veterans of the laser medicine and I like his comment on his personal favorite lasers: ”If my clinic were burning and I only had time to save two lasers, I’d save my KTP laser and my CO₂ laser. They do very different things, but they’re the yin and yang that allow me to cover the widest range of indications with the fewest lasers”.

There is, however, a tremendous shift towards non-invasive and affordable treatments in the last few years. The trend is also fueled by bad economy, which caused a significant drop in more expensive invasive procedures. These days most of aesthetic physicians should consider rushing in to save their YAGs if the practice were burning.