Smooth as Silk Inc.
Advanced Hair Removal & Skin Treatments

Frequently asked  questions

 

Q1 What is Intense Pulsed Light Hair Removal?   Intense pulsed light hair removal is a new and advanced, long-term hair removal method. A client sits or lies in a comfortable position, and then a technician glides a wand-like tool, or handpiece, over his or her skin. The handpiece emits a beam of specially filtered light, which is absorbed by the hair and converted to heat. This heat disintegrates the hair and disables the hair follicle. New hair growth will be delayed, and a percentage of hair may not grow back at all.   Q2   Is the treatment safe?   Yes, it is very safe. Some people may experience mild reddening of the treatment area for a day or so after treatment, but other complications are rare. The Intense Pulsed Light system delivers energy to the skin very gently. Plus, the handpiece extracts heat from the skin during each pulse of light for maximum protection.   Q3 How long does it take?   Treatments are extremely fast, over twice as fast as waxing. A pair of legs or a man’s back can be treated in less than ten to twenty minutes. Smaller areas, such as the face or back of the neck, can be done in less than a minute.   Q4 Does it hurt?   No. The light is selectively absorbed by the hair and hair follicles. The skin itself is exposed to little heat. Plus, no irritating chemicals are used, and the hairs aren’t pulled on in any way.   Q5 How long does the hair stay gone?   Results are long lasting. Nearly all hair can be removed from a pair of legs for up to three months, or from the face for up to one to two months. Some hair may never return at all. The exact amount of time that the hair stays gone depends on the area being treated, the settings selected by the technician, and individual hair and skin factors.   Q6 What body areas can be treated?   Almost any area of the body can be treated: the legs, back, upper lip, chin, underarms, back of the neck, bikini line, etc.   Q7 Do I have to let may hair grow out to a certain length before I can get treated?   Not at all! With intense pulsed light treatments there’s no need to let hair grow out before you remove it. Light penetrates beneath the skin to reach the hair follicles. If you wish, you can get treated at regular intervals so that you skin remains virtually hair free all the time.   Q8 How does Intense Pulsed Light Hair Removal compare with waxing?   Intense pulsed light hair removal is faster, more comfortable, produces longer-lasting results, and can treat hair before it becomes visible. Additionally, hair grows back more slowly after intense pulsed light treatments and is thinner and lighter in color.   Q9 How does it compare with Laser hair removal?   Laser hair removal has many of the same benefits as intense pulsed light hair removal. Operating a laser, however, often requires more expertise than operating an intense pulsed light system.   Q10 Who is the Palomar, and why did they develop light-based treatments?   Founded in 1991, Palomar Medical Technologies, Inc. produces the world’s most advanced pulsed light and  laser systems for cosmetic applications such as permanent hair reduction, leg veins, acne, pigmented lesion removal, wrinkle reduction, and vascular treatments. Used worldwide, Palomar’s systems offer exceptional versatility, efficacy, ease of use, and patient comfort and safety. Bringing Light-Based Aesthetic Treatments to the Mass Market  In 1996, Palomar initiated a drive to bring light-based treatments to a larger market. It was a risky proposition back then. Lasers at that time were very large, expensive, inefficient, and difficult to operate. As a result, only the most experienced and specialized physician offices could afford or operate these complex early lasers. This left a vast, untapped market of physicians and spa and salon owners, which Palomar was determined to reach with light-based cosmetic procedures.  To that end, Palomar aligned themselves with the best clinical research facilities in the world and their research soon paid off with a number of innovative achievements. Among them, the first FDA clearances for:   Light-based "permanent hair reduction".   Diode laser application.   Long pulse application. This period of research and development culminated with the introduction of the EsteLux® Pulsed Light System in 2001.   Q11 I have thick coarse hair on my chin that I want to get rid off….How?   Nothing is more embarrassing than facial hair, but unfortunately it is a very common problem. The quickest and most effective method to get rid of hair is to use Intense Pulsed Light. This involves a handpiece placed on the skin and a bright flash of broad-spectrum light is emitted. The wavelengths chosen are easily absorbed by melanin, which is the color in the hair. The light is transmitted through skin tissue, and is absorbed by the root of the hair within the skin. Heat is produced which radiates out into the follicle wall destroying the cells so hair regrowth is impeded. Only a few treatments, at monthly intervals usually are needed to obtain stunning results. Unlike other methods of hair removal, you don’t have to have hair showing before having treatment. It is very quick, virtually painless and no redness or skin reaction to worry about.   Q12 I have some unsightly sunspots on my hands. What can I do about them?   This is where Intense Pulsed Light systems are superior to lasers, as they can offer more than one type of treatment. Intense Pulsed Light utilizes a range of wave lengths [laser has only a single wavelength], which enables it to respond to hair color, small red blood vessels and pigmentation irregularities in the skin due to sun damage. The hand piece is placed on the skin over the sunspots or other pigmentation and a bright flash of light is released. This light is absorbed by the pigmented area, which will go even darker over the next few hours. The area will look a bit “dirty” or dark for about a week, then it will slough off leaving clear fresh new skin. Often only one treatment is necessary to create a stunning difference. This treatment is not only very effective for those aging, unsightly-looking sunspots on hands, but is excellent for irregular pigmentation on face, neck and décolletage.   Q13 I have been shaving my underarms every few days for years. The hairs are thick, coarse and constantly growing back. What other alternatives do I have?   There are various other temporary alternatives, like waxing, plucking and depilatory creams, but they are not the answer if you want some sort of permanency. The modern answer for hair removal is Intense Pulsed Light. Precise doses of light within specific wavelengths are emitted from a hand piece placed on the skin and moved along after every pulse. The light travels through skin and is absorbed by melanin, which is the color or pigment in hair. When the light is absorbed, heat is produced which destroys the hair follicles. Usually only 4 – 6 treatments are required. Underarms respond particularly well so there is no need in this day and age for anybody to be wasting their time regularly shaving or waxing.   Q14 I’m confused, what is the difference between Laser and Intense Pulsed Light?   Laser is a single color of light, which means all the rays are the same wavelength. There are a number of different lasers used for hair removal. Their effectiveness varies with what the wavelength is. Some lasers are very effective, others are not so good, which is why one hears a lot of variation in results. Intense Pulsed Light is broad spectrum light, made up of a range of wavelengths and colors. This range means one can treat more hair types effectively, with more consistent results. Besides removing hair from face and all body areas, Intense Pulsed Light has other uses. It can treat sun damage, pigmentation on face, hands and chests, small blood vessels and diffuse redness found on the face and chest. At Smooth as Silk, Inc. we  pride ourselves on having the latest technology with proven success.   Q15 I continually get ingrown hairs on my bikini line from waxing. What can I do about them?   Obviously you feel you need to remove hair from the bikini area or you would not have put up with painful and unsightly ingrown hairs, but why continue with waxing if it is causing such problems, especially as it is only a temporary method of hair removal? Ingrown hairs are a very common problem but they can be eradicated if you remove the hair by other means. Intense Pulsed Light is the answer. This is a beam of light emitted from a hand piece moved across the skin. It is attracted to the melanin in the hair and as the hair absorbs the light, heat is produced which destroys the surrounding cells that cause growth. This treatment causes no skin reactions minimal discomfort, maximum results within 4 to 6 treatments, and no ingrown hair! People get so excited by the results that they tend to want more and more removed…not a problem, as we can remove virtually all the pubic area, whatever amount you want.