Are you wondering what happens during a permanent laser hair removal treatment session at Epilia?
First of all, you will have an initial consultation at one of our centres.
This initial consultation is free of charge and without obligation.
How can you make an appointment?
There are 2 options:
Appointment on-line
You can make an appointment directly on our website.
- You select your town or your preferred Epilia centre.
- You select “It’s my first time at Epilia” if you are a new patient.
- You will receive an appointment confirmation email as well as a reminder email a few days before your first consultation.
Appointment by phone
You can also contact our telephone answering service on: +32 3 830 66 80
Initial consultation free of charge and without obligation
Why is the initial consultation so important?
The initial consultation is an information session that allows you to find out everything you need to know about laser hair removal. The Laser Technician will check whether you meet all the conditions to achieve optimal results from laser treatment (skin type, hair colour, age, any hormonal concerns, medications prescribed etc.). The technician will also ask a series of questions about you in order to get to know you better.
The initial consultation is therefore really important to ensure the treatment is successful as laser hair removal is long term. This meeting is also an opportunity for you to ask the technician any questions that you may have.
At the end of this meeting, you will have everything you need to decide whether you wish to begin with laser hair removal treatment. A detailed quote will be provided according to the areas you wish to treat and you can set a date for your first laser treatment session with your technician.
The technician will also inform you of what you need to do for your sessions.
It is important to note that no treatment will take place during the first consultation.
You should not shave before your appointment as the technician will need to see the colour and thickness of the hair.
Are there any contraindications for laser hair removal?
There are only a few but they should be respected to ensure effective, completely safe laser treatment:
- No exposure to sun or sunbeds for the entire duration of the treatment. If the area to be treated is tanned, the treatment cannot be carried out as there is a greater risk of burning in this case.
- Treatments cannot be performed on pregnant women.
- Areas affected by infectious inflammation cannot be treated.
Tattooed areas (or permanent make-up) cannot be treated. Treatment can only be performed around the tattooed area which will consequently retain any hair.
Recommendations before your laser treatment session
- Exposure to sun or sunbeds is prohibited for the entire duration of the treatment.
- For the same reasons, we would ask that you refrain from applying self-tanning lotion or tan activators.
- The hair in the area that you wish to treat must not be bleached, removed (wax, electric epilator, tweezers, sugaring) in the 4 weeks prior to the treatment (2 weeks for the face).
- It is fine to shave or clip the hair shortly before your treatment so that the hair is short (maximum 1 mm), no shaving for women’s faces or fine facial hair.
- Your skin must be free from any cosmetics on the day of treatment.
- The application of an anaesthetic cream (such as Emla) is prohibited. It is important that you can feel the sensation of the treatment in order to determine the optimal energy of the laser and thereby avoid any burns.
- You should avoid wearing new unwashed clothing on the area treated.
Laser hair removal treatment process
Your treatment session
- On arrival, we will invite you to make yourself comfortable in our pleasant waiting room.
- At Epilia, we make it a point of honour to see you on time.
- The technician will welcome you, ask you a few questions to start off and get you settled on a treatment couch.
- The technician will mark out the area to be treated with a white pencil so that no surface is omitted.
- You will be given protective glasses to wear during the laser treatment session.
- The technician will pass the laser over the entire area defined in advance.
Is laser hair removal painful?
Depending on the areas treated and the sensitivity of each, permanent laser hair removal can be more or less unpleasant. However, the pain ensuing from the treatment is generally completely bearable. The sensation felt is similar to that of a rubber band on the skin.
To make your sessions as comfortable as possible, all our permanent laser hair removal centres are equipped with an additional machine.
The latter is from the latest generation and makes the skin to cool down in the treated with an anaesthetic effect. It makes the tingling sensation caused by the laser easy to tolerate.
Is laser hair removal dangerous?
Permanent laser hair removal has been practised worldwide since 1995. Since then, many scientific studies were carried out. Today, we have sufficient hindsight to state with certainty that the laser has no impact on health.
Because the laser targets the melanin, the surrounding tissues cannot be affected by the light beam. Moreover, its wavelength is very selective and does not go over the dermis.
The end of your treatment session
- Your technician will provide a hydrating cream to be applied directly after the laser treatment.
- Immediately after the session, some redness and slight bruising may appear but will disappear quickly.
- You pay at the end of the session.
- You set the date with your technician for your next session.
Payment
- For your convenience, we have Bancontact machines in all Epilia centres.
- No nasty surprises – you pay the amount indicated on the informed consent quote that you signed at your initial consultation.
- At Epilia, you always pay at the end of each session. We never ask you to pay in advance for sessions that have not yet been completed.
After the session
- If you experience an intense sensation of heat on your skin, please contact us.
- The area treated needs to be kept hydrated during the days following the session.
- The hair follicle will be ejected in the 2 weeks following the treatment and can be assisted with gentle exfoliation.
- Avoid exposing the area treated to the sun for the entire duration of the treatment.
How long does a session last?
The duration depends directly on the extent of the area(s) to be treated.
The larger the area, the longer the treatment time. For small areas, such as the upper lip or underarms, it should take approximately fifteen minutes.
How many laser treatment sessions are required?
The hair’s life cycle consists of three phases. The laser only has an impact on hairs that are in the active growth phase (anagen phase). During the resting phase (catagen phase) and the ejection of the hair (telogen phase), the hair is no longer bound to its hair follicle. The laser, therefore, does not affect these last two phases.
Since not all the hairs in the treated area are in the active phase at the same time, it is necessary to schedule several sessions to obtain an optimal result.
The number of laser hair removal sessions varies according to different factors:
- The age
- The sex
- The skin phototype
- The pigmentation and hair structure
- The treated area
Since the physiology of each person is taken into consideration, it is impossible to accurately predict in advance the number of sessions that will be required to achieve the expected result.
Depending on the situation, but also on everyone’s expectations, it may be considered to do a yearly laser session to maintain an optimal result. However, it is not systematic.
During your first free consultation, our teams of specialists study the feasibility of the treatment and take the time to inform you about all aspects of the laser and protocol.
During this meeting, a personalised quote is drawn up and given to you in person.
Time between sessions
Our teams of permanent laser hair removal specialists recommend waiting for about 4 to 6 weeks between 2 hair removal sessions (depending on the area). As the sessions progress, and depending on how well the treatment is working, this period is extended. From the first session onwards, the results are clearly visible. During the treatment, the growth of the remaining hairs is slowed down and they become sparse and thinner. To comply with the protocol is essential to optimise results.
Our teams of specialists are available to answer all the questions you may have all over the process of your permanent hair removal. They advise and support you in each of your laser sessions.
Laser hair removal: are the results permanent?
The results of permanent laser hair removal are impressive and very satisfactory in most cases. This technique, although recognised as the most effective one, does not allow total hair removal. However, the remaining hair will be thinner, sparse and with no pigment.
Finally, it should be noted that laser hair removal cannot prevent the appearance of new hair bulbs linked to hormonal changes (pregnancy, menopause, hormonal imbalance). In these cases, sessions to maintain the results will need to be scheduled.
