Hair Removal

Tweezing and waxing methods of hair removal can be painful, time consuming and temporary. At Fraser Clinic, we use Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) and laser for long-term hair reduction.

How does it work?

Light penetrates the skin and is absorbed by the melanin that colours the hair. The light generates heat energy that destroys the hair growth cells within the follicle. Treatment impairs the growth of the hair follicles when they are in an active growth cycle. Not all follicles are active at the same time so depending on the growth cycle, 5 – 6 treatments at intervals of 4 – 6 weeks will be necessary.

Fair or grey hair lack melanin and therefore provide no target for light absorption and will therefore not be able to be effectively treated.

Darker skin types have a higher concentration of melanin and caution is needed when treating a darker skin due to risk of higher heat generation and absorption in to the skin. This is also relevant for a tanned skin therefore treatments are often recommended for the winter months when skin is at its palest.

Significant side effects are infrequent in experienced hands. You may experience some redness or follicular swelling but these subside rapidly. Potentially any IPL or laser treatment could cause blistering to the superficial skin with a risk of change to the pigmentation of the skin. Attending an experienced medical clinic reduces these risks to rare occurences.