What Can I Expect During Treatment?
Treatment will take place in our office. You will wear safety eyewear to protect your eyes from the laser light. Our technician will guide the laser to the treatment areas with a small handheld probe. Each laser pulse may be preceded and followed by a short pulse of cooling spray. A treatment could take as little as a few minutes to as long as an hour, depending on the area and condition being treated.

Does it Hurt?
Some patients may feel a slight discomfort with the laser pulse, sometimes described as the snapping of a rubber band on the skin. This discomfort resolves in several seconds and is minimized by Candela's DCD cooling. For some patients, a topical anesthetic may be used prior to treatment.

How Many Treatment Sessions Will I Need?
The number of sessions depends on the treatment you require and the condition of your skin.  For hair removal, multiple treatments are required, as the process is only effective when the hair follicle is in its active growth phase.  Other conditions may clear in as few as one treatment, but many factors impact the efficacy of individual laser treatments, including the severity of the condition being treated.

How Do I Prepare for Treatment?
Patients scheduled for hair removal should avoid plucking, electrolysis or hair waxing for six weeks prior to treatment.  If you have had a history of perioral herpes and are scheduled for facial hair tratment, prophylactic antiviral therapy may be prescribed.  Also, any hair should be completely removed by shaving, and your skin should be thoroughly cleaned and dried, removing any makeup, creams, oils, or topical anesthetics on its surface before laser treatment.

What Can I Expect After Treatment?
A cool compress or gel pack may be applied for comfort following your treatment.  Patients should avoid sun exposure before and after treatment, by applying sunblock (SPF 30 or above) prior to going outdoors.

Are There Side Effects?
Your risks are minimal.  Side effects may include purpura (a laser bruise), redness, blistering, hyperpigmentation, hypopigmentation, and swelling in the treated area -- these usually do not last more than a few days.  Permanent side effects, such as hyperpigmentation or hypopigmentation or scarring, are rare.

What Precautions Should I Take After Treatment?
After laser treatment, prevent sun exposure by applying sunblock (SPF 30 or above).  In the first few days after treatment, don't scrub or rinse the treated areas with abrasive skin cleansers.  We may advise additional precautions.

Are These Treatments Covered by Insurance?
Most insurance companies do not offer reimbursement for cosmetic procedures.  Some carriers will, however, cover the treatment of disfiguring birthmarks such as hemangiomas.  Consult your insurance carrier for conclusive information.

Why do We Use the Candela GentleYAG Laser?
It uniquely provides laser hair removal for everyone.  Whether you are fair skinned, dark skinned or tanned, the GentleYAG can eliminate the need for shaving, plucking or waxing.  The gentleYAG can also be used for a variety of medical and cosmetic procedures including treatment of leg and facial veins, as well as fine lines and wrinkles.  The GentleYAG system, a revolutionary long-pulse high-energy Nd:YAG laser, incorporates Candela's DCD cooling where cryogen is sprayed onto the skin cooling the upper layers and providing patients with increased comfort.  GentleYAG selectively helps to protect the skin, while effectively treating the unwanted hair, vascular lesions, and wrinkles.