How does the system work?

The energy from the light source is taken up by the pigments (melanin and Haemoglobin) in the skin, hairs and blood vessels.

Pulsar IPL Hair removal is accomplished by the generation of heat from light in the melanin which is then transferred to the hair follicle (root).

Pulse times of this applied light have been chosen to destroy the hair follicle by heating for at least 1millisecond (one thousandth of a second) to 70 degrees centigrade.

Why is Gel used?

It is necessary to apply a thin layer of gel to the skin prior to treatment to assure an optimal optical transmission of light from the applicator to the skin.

How is the treatment carried out?

The Applicator (hand piece) is placed in contact with the skin surface and the light pulsed through it onto the skin. The applicator is then moved to the neighbouring area and the process is repeated.

Who can be treated?

Dark hairs are most easily treated due to the large concentration of dark melanin in these, which gives maximum absorption and conversion of light energy to heat.
Very fair hair has less melanin and consequently less heat is produced making it slightly less certain of permanent destruction of the hair follicles.
Grey (white) hair has almost no melanin and cannot be efficiently treated.
The Pulsar computer has pre-programmed treatment suggestions for different hair and pigment types.

Does it hurt?

No anaesthesia is required and most patients describe the pain as moderate and acceptable (as if a rubber band is snapped against the skin).

Does the patient need to shave prior to treatment?

Hairs should be 1 to 2mm long when the patient comes in for treatment so it is possible to mark out the treatment area.
Hair will then be trimmed just before treatment for maximum transmission of the energy. If the hair is normally shaved and can be seen when shaven then patients can shave right up to the day of treatment although plucking and bleaching should not be done.By avoiding epilation and waxing 4 weeks before treatment it ensures as many follicles as possible contain a hair and thus can be destroyed by the light.

Why do hairs 'grow' after treatment?

Contrary to other treatments, hairs are not vaporized by the Pulsar treatment the hair follicles are killed by the heat but the hairs remain in the skin and often become attached to the epidermis.
They will fall out after 1 to 3 weeks as the epidermis is renewed. During this period it will seem that the hairs are growing as they are pushed out by the epidermis.

How can you tell if the treatment has worked?

After treatment the hairs are often loose within the follicle and can easily be pulled out with tweezers. A red ring around each follicle is often seen a few minutes after treatment. These two things are good indications that sufficient heating of the follicles has taken place.

Unfortunately they are not always seen and we have seen many patients with successful treatment results without the post-treatment signs.

Safety

Our staff are all highly trained and in addition have trained at the Fleming Institute in Melbourne.

Our Principal has had 7 years in the hair removal industry including experience with other methods of hair removal, and has found the Pulsar system to be the most superior and effective method of hair removal.

What are the side effects?

The visible light is completely safe so no special precautions are needed apart from glasses for the brightness. The skin of some patients becomes quite red immediately after treatment however this subsides very quickly.
However, most patients experience no side effects at all and the described skin reactions above usually disappear within hours to a few days.

Unlike electrolysis the Pulsar treatment is non-invasive.

How many treatments are necessary?

Only hair in the growth phase can be treated. The number of hairs in this phase varies from 10 to 70% depending on the body site. The lengths of the growth cycles also vary. For most patients up to four to six treatments is enough, with an interval of between six weeks to two months is sufficient to remove virtually all hairs.  Facial hair tends to come through faster and often requires to be treated with a one month interval between treatments.

How do I prepare for treatment?

Patients should avoid tanning 1 month ahead of and during the entire treatment scenario to avoid excessive discomfort from excessive light absorption in the epidermis.

Immediately after the treatment the skin is particularly sensitive to UV light and strong sunlight should be avoided for 4-5 days.
It is recommended to use a 30+ sunscreen when out in the sun during the course of your treatment.

How long does treatment take?

The facial treatment usually takes 10 minutes whereas both legs or an entire back in most Clinics would take approximately 1.5 to 2 hours.  Our technology, using our new 22sqcm head this is now achieved in around 20min.

Is it permanent?

Most authorities would agree that using current laser and light technology it is possible to permanently remove hair. Histology studies have found destroyed and denatured hair follicle cells post treatment.