|
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
| ■Aoyama elu Clinic・Laser Hair removal |
|
|
|
|
■Looking more sexy!
|
 |
●Spring is not that far away and I can’t wait for warm weather!
Every winter, I start making perpetrations. I begin a small diet, exercise 3 times a week to firm up my buttocks, slim those thighs, and tone my arms, and ･ nally I’ll get the latest hair style with some fun hi-lights in my hair. Girlfriends, watch out!! And my man, well he won’t be able to take his eyes off of me by the time I’m done! By April, I’m ready to pull out all my sandals, short skirts, and tank-tops BUT there is one last thing left which I’ve always dread year after year. Waxing to remove all the unwanted hair from my body, ugh! So many times, I wish I would just wake up every morning with hairless, smooth legs and arms. Usually, I’ll go once in the beginning of summer for my legs, underarms, and of course the bikini line. This lasts about 3-4 weeks and then I must either continue waxing or shave for the rest of the summer. Every year, my sister and mother and I discuss the latest methods for hair removal. It seems to be the most commonly discussed subject till now. What is the fastest, cheapest, most effective way to remove hair? Cream hair removal is quick, painless but doesn’t last. Shaving is only good for 1-2 days but skin gets itchy and irritated, Waxing & using an Epilader machine is great but Ouch, The pain!! Laser hair removal always turned out to be too expensive. Mother seems to have several home-made recipes which were handed down from her mother when she lived in Nairobi, Kenya. However, my sweet sister Meena, who is a scientific nut, desired more hi-tech methods. Unfortunately, even the Doctors in the family had no answers and advised us to “be natural”. Yeah, right! Well, this year I’ve decided to do something about it and conducted some research. Overall, I discovered there are 3 methods of removing unwanted hair:
METHODS OF HAIR REMOVAL:
| 1. Depilation Method-Lasts Several Hours to Several Days |
|
・Shaving- Razors or electric shavers
・Depilatories-Creams or shaving powders which chemically dissolve hair
・Friction-Rough surfaces used to buff away hair. Pumice stones are commonly used
in India and Africa. |
| 2. Epilation Method-Lasts Several Days to Several Weeks |
|
・Tweezing-Tweezers
・Waxing- A Hot or Cold wax is applied and removed with porous strips
・Sugaring- Similar to waxing but with a sticky paste
・Threading- Twisted thread catches hairs. Very common in India and great method
to shape eyebrows!
・Rotary Epiladers- Devices which rapidly grasp hairs and pulls them by the root. |
| 3. Permanent Methods of Hair Removal |
|
・Electrolysis-A hair-thin metal
probe is slid into a hair follicle. Electricity is delivered to the follicle through
the probe, which causes localized damage to the areas that generate hairs.
・Laser-Light at a speci･ ed wavelength is delivered from a hand-piece into the
skin, where it targets dark material (usually the pigment in hair).
・Prescription Oral Medications-Aldactone, Propecia, Proscar, Flutamide to name
a few.
・Prescription Topical preparation-Vaniqua is a prescription cream applied to the
skin for the reduction of unwanted facial hair in women |
|
|
|
|
| ■Close up of the laser light tool. Close up of the laser light tool. |
|
Since I was interested in permanent hair removal, I further investigated the advantages and disadvantages for various methods. If medical reports showed the method to be unsafe, risky, or caused any serious side effects, I was not going to proceed further. In 1996, my sister decided to try Electrolysis. She had good results overall. Although this method has the longest track record, the process involves one hair at a time, therefore it takes a long time to remove large amounts of unwanted hair.
Prescription oral medications do result in various side effects and must be taken over a long period of time. Not worth the risk!! Prescription Topical Preparation (Vaniqua) studies show that only 58% of the women had improvement and the 42% had no improvement. In fact, I tried this cream myself but the hair did re-grow after 2 months.
The last option was Laser-light. In the 90’s, this procedure was available but it seemed that only the “Rich and Famous” could afford the latest cosmetic developments. Even with my bonus checks I couldn’t afford it at the time. However, now laser hair removal equipment is developed on a commercial scale and with technological developments is has become very affordable!!
|
|
|
|
|
■So what are the pros and cons for Laser ?
|
 |
It is safe if it’s performed properly and is more effective for larger skin areas such as legs, arms, and back. Depending on the laser, it can cover up to 1.6cm of skin area each time and it takes approximately 2 seconds per area. Light skinned individuals with dark hair are the best candidates since laser energy does not get absorbed versus a dark skinned individual. If you’re very dark skinned and tanned, you have to be very careful since you risk burns, lesions, or skin discoloration lasting several months. If the clinic is good, you don’t have to worry as they will monitor the laser energy level to avoid any damage.
|
|
|
|
|
■AT THE CLINIC.
|
 |
I’ve had several friends go to a
laser hair removal clinic called Aoyama
Elle Clinic,and the results were very positive for all
of them. I decided to book a consultation appointment at the clinic to understand
firsthand what was really involved. I had all my questions ready for the doctor
on a legal notepad!!
| Well, I took the first step and
now that the research was thoroughly conducted and all my concerns were addressed
, I was ready for my fi rst treatment. Hollywood, here I come! |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
■FIRST LASER TREATMENT
|
|
FIRST LASER TREATMENT
I went to my ･ rst appointment at Aoyama
Elle Clinic and requested to have my underarms, lower
abdomen, and bikini area done. Sitting in the waiting room, I was feeling so nervous
and anxious. Did I ask all the right questions? Could there be anything that I
may have missed? Will I be ok after the procedure? What if I come out permanently
damaged? What if I can’t bear the pain........My palms are sweating by now. I’m
really scared....
I was called into the room for the treatment which was going to take about 1 hour.
They asked me to undress, put on a robe, and lie ･ at on a bed next to the big
laser machine. The technician came into the room. She turned on the laser machine
and it made a zoom, zoom, zoom sound as she increased the laser beam energy level.
She put on large UV type goggles and it looked like she belonged on the planet
Mars. She then covered my eyes with a plastic type eye piece. Are you ready she
said? Yes, I think so........
She started with the underarms first.
With the laser in one hand, she zapped me for one second and then applied some
ice right after. Wow, that wasn’t painful.!! She continued Zap, Ice, Zap, Ice,
Zap, Ice......I could relax now. Honestly speaking, I found it to be much less
painful than waxing. She spent 20 minutes on both underarms, 20 minutes on the
bikini area, and 10 minutes on the lower abdomen. It went quickly and she worked
very fast.
After it was completed, she applied a cream and asked me to wait for a few minutes
in case I had any reaction. I was good to go!! Next time, she commented, I’ll
increase the energy level slightly....Oh Dear!
| The next day I did notice
some redness but it went away the day after. I was careful to not expose the treated
areas to any sun. Two weeks later I did have some slight burn to a small area
on the skin but I applied some Vaseline and it disappeared over the following
week. I had no scarring or burn marks which I was sure glad about! But best of
all, I had no hair for several weeks!! It did however come back after the 4th
week. |
 |
 |
Skin Sample:
Before Laser treatment |
Skin Sample:
After Laser Treatment |
|
|
|
|
|
■SECOND LASER TREATMENT
|
| |
●Exactly 6 weeks have passed and its time for my second treatment at Aoyama Elle Clinic!
I went in again and it was the exact same procedure. Only difference is this time they increased the laser beam energy level. I must say it didn’t hurt anymore than before. In addition there was no redness or slight burns to the skin which was fantastic. Once again, everything went well and I was good to go!! I still have 4 more treatments to go but I am very pleased with the procedure thus far. In the future, I would like to get my legs and arms done also. The clinic is very clean and the staff is very professional. The technician was very careful and monitored me throughout the entire procedure! In addition, the doctor continued to answer all my questions and concerns. In 4 months, I’ll be ready to show my skin to the world. Never again do I have to be embarrassedabout hair on my body. It really is a dreamcome true...... 。
| Q : What type of laser is used? |
| A
: |
Alexandride-Long pulsed Infra-red. This is one of the latest laser tools developed and is 1.6cm in diameter so it covers a fairly large area compared to other lasers. Make sure you shave and not wax prior to treatment. |
| Q : What is the possibility of getting
burned because I am very dark skinned? |
| A
: |
We will start
with a low laser level on a more hidden body area first? Depending on the results,
we will increase or maintain the same energy level. Make sure you stay out of
the sun before and after treatment to avoid any skin discolorations. |
| Q : Does it hurt? |
| A
: |
It may feel like
a rubber band snapping at you. If you’re worried about pain, you can take ibuprofen
30 minutes beforehand or the clinic can give you a shot, approximately an extra
2500Y, to numb the area being treated. |
| Q : When will I notice a change? |
| A
: |
After the fi
rst treatment but typically 6 treatments are needed for permanent removal. You
will have to wait 6 weeks minimum between treatments. |
| Q : What if I’m pregnant? |
| A
: |
We cannot provide
treatment on pregnant women. |
| Q : How much is this going to Cost? |
| A
: |
Both Underarms - 7,350 Yen each time (special promotion)
Bikini Line (sides Only) - 10,500 Yen each time
Per Treatment Subtotal - 17,850 Yen
X 6 Treatments TOTAL - 107,100 Yen
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
