Cosmetic Laser Surgeon Dr Ross Martin explains RubyStar hair reduction.

Every day is a “bad hair day” for anyone who suffers from excess facial or body hair. It is often especially traumatic for women in Western society where summer fashions are short and revealing and it is considered an ideal of beauty to be smooth skinned and free of body hair.

For years, their only salvation was shaving, waxing or using depilatory creams. These were temporary and often caused significant side-effects such as folliculitis, burns and contact dermatitis arising from cuts and infection.

Electrolysis was promoted as the only long-term solution, but it involved heating or passing an electrical current through individual hairs to damage the follicle and bulb. It is painful, time-consuming and may only be successful in some cases. Scarring and pigmentary changes have been reported.

More recently, laser-assisted hair reduction has become the established alternative and the FDA (Food & Drug Administration) in USA has recently accepted that there is now sufficient clinical evidence to permit the use of the words, “permanent hair reduction” to describe the effects using a long-pulse ruby or high-power diode laser.

Success in laser reduction of body and facial hair, with minimum risk of side effects, is largely dependent upon matching the energy delivered by the laser handpiece to the degree of skin pigmentation and hair density in the area to be treated. The RubyStar laser used at the Franklynn Centre is therefore used in conjunction with the EpiCheck skin tester which allows the operator to measure skin type and hair density to set energy levels more precisely and achieve optimum results for each client.

The Franklynn Centre works closely with international laser clinics working at the forefront of hair removal technology and its clinical team has participated in trials with a number of alternative systems before deciding upon the RubyStar long-pulse ruby and MeDioStar high power diode lasers as its treatment standard.

To date, the Franklynn Centre has treated thousands of patients with a high degree of success in reducing hair density and in some cases has already eliminated hair completely for many months with very few cases of low or non-response to treatment. This will continue to be a key service offered to clients at the clinic.