Questions

How do you choose which laser clinic to use?

Before entering a clinic carry out as many checks as possible. At WhichLaserClinic.com we insist all clinics registered have been checked by an independent laser protection advisor.

Once registered, they can display the following logo:-

 

Useful questions

Depending on who you speak to, the staff member may not have all the answers but hopefully there will be enough to help you decide if the clinic is professional or not.

  • Do you use a LPA? We advise that all laser clinics follow best practice and use the services of a Laser Protection Advisor (LPA), there is no legal obligation to use a LPA, however, it is a good indictation that safety standards have been checked by an independent laser professioinal. Click Here to see the role of a LPA.
  • Do you have indemnity insurance? Ensure they have adequate indemnity insurance in case of accidents such as a burn or change in pigmentation.
  • Observations
  • Is the eyewear CE marked and conform to the EN207 standard?  Look out for the L numbers ie L5-10. Goggles are not designed for looking directly into the laser beam and only give protection during a quick accidental laser eye strike.  IPL goggles are different and have a green hue. Standards for IPL derive from Welding Standards (US ANSI). We would recommend that an accredited LPA check all eyewear.
  • Look to see if mirrors or reflective surfaces, such as stainless steel trays, are present these should be covered during treatment to avoid relective laser strikes.
  • The laser room door should be locked and have a sign on the door when the laser is in operation. Only authorised staff  are to be present.
  • Exterior windows should be covered with blinds.
  • Use of yellow laser radiation warning signs used at both laser and IPL clinics.

This sign is used with indicators such as:-

Laser Controlled Area,

Do not enter and

Eye protection must be worn.

 

Reputable aesthetic laser manufacturers

We recommend the following aesthetic laser and ipl manufacturers.

If you require information or a quote for laser and IPL equipment please This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

 

Lynton

Cynosure

Lumenis

Energist Group

Ellipse

Candela

Alma

Fotona

 

If you have had experience with any laser manufacturer please let us know as our list is always evolving to highlight companies offering quality of support and equipment manufactured to European CE standards.

 

How does hair grow and other hairy facts!

Hair Biology - Hair fibre

The fibre of our hair

Keratin, a protein, makes up your hair. It's the same protein that nails, claws, beaks, quills, and hooves are made of. One strand of hair is composed of many unimaginably thin coils of protein twisted together to form bundles. The bundles are grouped together into more bundles to form one rope of keratin - which is what one strand of your hair is.

The units that make up your hair's protein are little groups of atoms known as amino acids. Every hair is built amino acid by amino acid, looking like beads on a string. Each amino acid is like a different type of bead placed in a specific sequence on the string, and it reacts to its neighbors a bit differently. One amino acid might be irresistibly attracted to a particular neighbor down the string from it. When attracted, the two amino acids cling to each other. When one amino clings tightly to the amino down the way, it changes the shape of the string when they get together.

Amino acids feel this attraction at regular intervals up and down the strand. When they're all bonded to one another, the pattern they create causes the strand to take the shape of a coil. This coil is an alpha helix, the same shape our DNA takes. Four of these alpha helices are twisted together into a structure called a protofibril. Eleven protofibrils are twisted together to make up one microfibril. Hundreds of microfibrils are bundled together and embedded in a protein-cement matrix to form one macrofibril. Bundles of macrofibrils make up the cortex, the main core of the hair. One strand of hair is about ten macrofibrils across.

What this means is that one single strand of your hair is composed of hundreds of thousands of surpassingly thin strands of fiber, twisted and bonded together. Every strand of hair you produce is an intricate marvel of construction. A string of amino acids builds each hair into the twists of an alpha helix. The alpha helix is the building unit of every strand of hair. Because of its coiled nature, when you stretch a strand of hair, the helices unwind to accommodate the stretching without breaking. The strand can unwind to about 30 percent of its length and still return to its previously coiled shape without damage. When stretched, the twisted shape of the helix changes from coils to pleated sheets, like an accordion fold. When released, they spiral back up again.

When your hair is stretched beyond this amount, the helices are stretched too far and break. Knowing this is crucial when you're combing or brushing your hair. When you pull a comb or brush through your hair, your hair is stretched. If you do it gently, it springs right back. If you use lots of force to get a brush or a comb through your hair, such as when your hair isn't slippery enough, the comb's teeth are too close together, or heavy force is exerted to get the comb or the brush through your hair in a hurry, your hair is stretched and damaged. If you use a brush such as a Denman, which has some give to it because of its flexible rubber base, the give comes from the brush instead of your hair. If you use, or someone uses on you, a hard plastic comb or moves through your hair with force, this means all the give must come from your hair alone. This will damage your hair. Keeping this in mind is a vital way to prevent needless damage getting inflicted on your hair.

The bonds

Not only do the bonds of each strand of your hair hold it together, but the way these bonds are composed also explains why your hair behaves as it does. The bonds determine how much your hair curls, why it frizzes in humidity, and why a set holds better when it's done with wet hair. There are three main bonds within and between all of those alpha helices that determine the structure and behavior of your hair: hydrogen bonds, salt bonds, and disulfide bonds. The coils are shaped by the interactions between the bonds, both within their structures and with neighboring coils. These bonds repeat down their entire lengths. Because of their massive numbers, they are powerful.

 

Hair Biology - How much of hair is growing at one time

Hair is dynamic. All of the hair on your head is at one of three stages: growing, resting, or packing up and leaving. At any given time, as long as you're in good health, most of your hair is growing. Each hair grows for about two to seven years, and nearly 90 percent of your hair will be in this growth stage.

Your health and your genes determine how much time your hair spends growing. The more time each hair has to grow, the longer your hair will be. Most people have hair that can grow long enough to reach down to the middle of their backs. They just don't realize it. Hair often doesn't seem to grow when it's being damaged and breaking off at the same rate it grows.

While a few people can grow hair long enough to step on, there are others who have hair that's genetically programmed to reach only a little past their shoulders before each hair's life span ends.

During the resting stage, your hair prepares for the end of its time on your scalp. Only about 12 percent of your hair is in this holding pattern at a time. After three to eight weeks of resting, your hair has said its goodbyes and is now ready to go. After a hair falls out, the follicle rests for about twelve to sixteen weeks before building another hair and starting the process all over again.

Each follicle is capable of about twenty of these cycles before it runs out of steam and stops producing. We shed about 100 to 150 hairs a day. Provided that you're in good health, this equals about 700 to nearly 1,050 hairs lost a week. This means that if you comb your hair once a week, there will be a mat the size of a tiny animal left in your comb. This is totally normal.

It's important to know the average life span of a hair, because you need a marker to determine when your hair is healthy enough to have most likely reached its maximum length. This means it's grown its entire life with so little damage that it didn't break off before it could grow as long as it was genetically programmed to.

Hair that has grown to an average maximum length lives about six years. This is about thirtysix inches, or lower-back length, depending on how fast it grows. If you can't get your hair to grow to its maximum length, it means that in some way your hair is still being damaged.

 

Hair Biology - The shape of hair follicles

The shape of hair follicles

There are several factors that make your hair so curly: curls are shaped by the follicles they grow from, by the uneven rate each side of the hair grows, and by the composition of the cells within each twist and turn of the curl. Curls are built deep into every fiber of hair and are structurally reinforced by the placement of the cells within them.

The shape of your follicles determines how much your hair curls, much as a squirt of cake frosting is changed by the shape of the tip it's squeezed from. Straight hair comes from a rounded follicle and is nearly round in cross section. Wavy hair comes from a slightly oval follicle, so the hair that grows from it is slightly oval. Loosely curled hair comes from a more oval follicle, and in cross section looks oval. Very curly hair, such as is common in those of us of African descent, has follicles that are like flattened ovals. In cross section, each of our hairs is bean-shaped to nearly flat, and grows from its follicle like a ribbon. Very curly African American hair can have up to thirty more twists per inch than Caucasian hair has.

 

by: Amanda K. Rogers

 

   

Transgendered? Laser hair treatments may help you!

Laser Hair Removal perception of sexual identity

Perhaps one of the most defining features of a person is their face. It is the first feature noticed during most encounters and therefore is very important in the perception of sexual orientation . Look on any transgendered discussion board and the face will be the predominant part of passing off as a woman in public.  Leonardo Da Vinci applied the Golden Ratio of the Greeks to the face. Male and female faces can be described by a mask relating to the golden ratio. Depending on how the face fits the masks template determines its sexuality and attractiveness. The template can point to important techniques in make-up, emphasizing features and playing others down. The face can betray or confirm moods, feelings and importantly sex.

Removing your beard and stubble can play a huge part in softening the masculine face and passing as a woman in public. The more complete the removal of facial hair the more confident you will feel of convincing others.

The removal of facial hair can be a good idea if you don’t consider yourself to be transgender or interested in feminizing your appearance.

After a successful course of treatment you could have these benefits:

Shaving less frequently. How would you feel at not having to worry about the daily shave? Saving time every morning. Your face will also feel softer.

Shaving less often means you will save time every morning and save money from not buying razors or foam or other shaving supplies.

Enjoy better condition skin without ingrowing hairs spoiling your face or neck. Wet shaving or dry shaving irritates the skin especially if you suffer ingrowing hairs. Less shaving means less irritation and the minimised irritation to your skin will mean less redness and inflamed spots.

Use makeup where you want to accentuate your features rather than have to plaster it on to hide stubble. Even with close shaving the stubble left may have to be hidden by thick makeup particularly for those with dark thick hair. Imagine having no shadow to be concerned with.

 

Laser hair removal is a commonly available treatment, what should you think about before having laser hair removal.

The number of devices used for hair removal seems to increase daily. There are a wide variety of different lasers to choose from with features that can work better on different skin types. You should choose a practitioner and a clinic very carefully. It takes a bit of research and planning to work out what will work best for you.

 It takes a bit of research and planning to figure out what type of laser might work well for your skin.

Personal introduction from a friend who can tell you about the experience is always one of the best options. Web sites such as whichlaserclinic.com hold directories of reputable clinics and explanations of the procedures and processes involved.

The treatment will require a number of sessions to be effective as possible. Perhaps 6 to 12 sessions will be needed to catch the hair in the best stage of its growth cycle.

The sessions can be uncomfortable, some people find them painful. It will not pay in the long run to judge the provider solely by price. You may think the treatments are expensive but the cheapest practitioner or clinic maybe inexperienced with in this case beard removal. The more reputable, experienced clinics may be a little more expensive because of their training and infrastructure costs. There is an old saying about monkies and peanuts. A clinic with a reputation for dealing successfully with transgendered laser hair removal may be worth the initial financial investment.

Lasers are dangerous in the wrong hands and the cheapest place in town might have the cheapest staff, equipment and may not be there tomorrow. A laser wielded incorrectly may damage, burn and scar your skin permanently.

Make sure you have a full and detailed consultancy session with the practitioner and a test patch done of the treatment. Try to get the feel of them and talk to them about all of your concerns, never hide any medical conditions or medicines for whatever reason. And follow their instructions to the letter with what to do after the sessions. Keep to the treatment dates they arrange and never skip appointments (if you can avoid it) missing an appointment may prolong the treatments and your expense.

Excellent long term hair removal results can be attained by professional clinics. Many transgender people have had excellent results and service and have been very satisfied by their results. Some have found it best to use electrolysis as well to tidy up stubborn hairs.

The bottom line is why should you tolerate a situation if there is an alternative. Look into laser hair removal and talk to your friends. Look for reviews and information.

Thinking about laser hair removal? This piece concentrates on the face and beard but it can be equally successful on other areas.

 

Can all parts of the body be treated?

Yes - including the chin, upper lip, cheeks, legs, arms, underarms and back - as well as sensitive areas like the ears, nose, chest and bikini line. Our Alexandrite laser is fast and even large areas like legs and backs can be treated in a relatively short period of time.

 

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