FAQ

The laser delivers an intense beam of light, which is absorbed by the skin and converted to heat. The heat is then absorbed by the cells being targeted, while the surrounding tissue remains unaffected. Candela’s patented Dynamic Cooling Device™ (DCD™) ensures that the treatments are comfortable, safe, and effective.

The laser emits a beam of thermal light energy that specifically targets the pigment or melanin in the hair follicles that are currently in an active growing cycle. Precise pulse duration and energy settings are customised for each patient’s skin and hair type. The laser’s thermal heat energy is absorbed by the hair follicles, destroying the follicles ability to produce hair, resulting in rapid, safe, painless and effective hair removal.

Unlike shaving, tweezing, plucking or depilatory creams, lasers destroy or disable the hair follicle. This prevents new hair growth. So patients will see results that last far longer than tweezing, waxing, shaving, chemical depilation, or other temporary methods.

Additionally, the laser uses a wide beam that treats many hairs at once instead of treating hairs one-by-one like electrolysis. Because of this, large areas such as the legs, arms, or back can be treated in a short period of time.

GentleMax Pro® is FDA approved and a gold standard premium for Laser Hair Removal. The GentleMax Pro® system is a consolidated, dual-wavelength laser platform that combines a fast and powerful 755 nm Alexandrite laser with a 1064 nm Nd: YAG laser to deliver effective and safe results for all skin types. For over two decades, the Gentle Family® of devices has been a gold standard for hair removal and more, with over 10,000 lasers in use worldwide in over 86 countries.

If the hair on your face and/or body is dark, YES you are eligible for treatment.

If the hair on your face/body is white, grey or blonde, unfortunately due to the lack of pigment in the hair, treatment will not be effective for you.  This is because the laser targets the pigment in the hair follicle.  If your hair is light in colour, it will be more difficult for the laser to detect the pigment and effectively disable the hair follicle.  Patients with red hair have to expect the need for more treatments, running up to 8 to 10 for satisfactory results.

YES! The Gentle Max Pro by Candela allows us to safely and effectively treat all skin tones.

The length of a session depends on the size of the area to be treated. An upper lip can take as little as 30 seconds, while a larger area such as legs could take around 35 minutes to treat.

The number of treatments necessary is varied for every customer. It may take multiple treatments for visible hair reduction as there are several cycles of hair growth and a certain number of hairs may only be growing at a particular time. Laser hair removal procedures impair the growth of hair follicles when they are in the growth cycle at the time of the procedure. There are three phases in a person’s hair growth cycle: Anagen, Catagen, and Telogen.  The thickness and pigment of the hairs also determine how effective the treatment is and how many sessions will be needed. The more contrast there is between the colour of the skin and the colour of the hair, the more effective the treatment.

Most clients need a minimum of 5-8 treatments in intervals of every 4 to 8 weeks, although this number can increase if you are someone who struggles with hormonal imbalances caused by illnesses such as, but not limited to, Endometriosis and PCOS.

Our body produces different hairs at different stages of our life that vary in location and colour. Dark, coarse hairs are the easiest to treat, as the laser can easily find the melanin in the hair and neutralise the follicle.

The growth of hair is controlled by numerous factors, including age, genetics, hormones, diseases, childbirth, and medications like IUD and birth control. You may require more sessions on areas that are more hormonally charged, like face, underarms, and the pubic region. These hairs tend to be more difficult to treat.

Also, laser hair removal is only successful for hairs that are currently in the anagen phase of growth; at this time the laser can permanently neutralise the hair follicle. Unfortunately, our hair is more often in the shedding phase, and follicles that are in the process of shedding cannot be neutralised. To address these, a series of treatments will be required. We can only reduce 10-15% of active growth per session.

Many of the Candela lasers target the melanin/pigment in the skin. Therefore we advise patients to avoid any sun exposure, tanning beds, and sunless tanning products for at least two weeks prior to treatment and two weeks following treatment. The GentleYAG laser is the only product that may be used on patients with a tan, to reduce hair growth. However, patients should continue to avoid sun exposure and tanning beds for one week prior to treatment and two weeks post treatment.

Some clients may feel a slight discomfort with each laser pulse, sometimes described as the snapping of a rubber band on the skin.  Our Candela GentleMax Pro is considered the most comfortable laser in the world, hence why they’re called the GentleMax! In the past, laser hair removal has been stigmatized as extremely painful, but our new lasers are comfortable and move quickly- even faster than shaving.

With Candela GentleMax Pro lasers, people with a low pain threshold can tolerate laser hair removal without the need for topical anesthesia. All of our lasers have built-in cooling for a comfortable treatment. Most of our clients describe laser hair removal as less painful than waxing and we do our best to put you at ease during your treatment. Most treatments are very quick unless treating multiple areas.

Permanent side effects are rare, and may include redness, swelling, hyperpigmentation, hypopigmentation, blistering and purpura (a laser bruise) in the treated area.  These usually do not last more than a few days.  Be sure to discuss potential side effects with your laser specialist.

The depth of laser penetration is changeable. Depth depends on wavelength. The longer the wavelength, the deeper the penetration.

No, neither the organs nor the lymph nodes should absorb the laser light due to the limited depth of penetration.

The procedure can not be done over tattoos, sunburn, open wounds, moles, or certain scarring. These conditions can result in a higher rate of side effects with the laser.

Unfortunately we do not treat clients who are pregnant. If you have come in for treatment and soon after found out you are pregnant please do not worry, there is no evidence to suggest Laser would harm the baby.  We do not treat during pregnancy as it is best to walk on the side of caution. You may resume treatment 6 months post birth.  This is due to hormonal changes that may cause negative results such as unexpected skin pigmentation.

Yes – it is likely that you will have some re-growth of hair during pregnancy and breastfeeding as the body is flooded with hormones. If you have completed your full course of treatments this resurgence will most likely be very minor. If you are midway through treatment, some hair will likely grow back, however it is unlikely that all of it will reappear. 

There are no concerns about safety of laser hair removal at a young age. It can be done as early as 10 years old, but it is best to wait until after puberty. Most healthcare providers recommend to wait at least until children are age 14 or older. The body is still developing at this stage and higher hormone levels will increase body hair. Children or teenagers would need a guardian’s permission to do this when under 18 years old.

Definitely! It is absolutely necessary to obtain any information about medication that a patient is taking during the consultation. The technician can then advise on whether the patient should continue medication or what effects their medication may have on their treatment. Patients should not be taking Accutane for at least 6 months prior to laser treatments. Other treatments may require a test spot to be performed if there is any concern about an adverse reaction. Retinoids should not be taken 3-5 days prior to treatment. This is due to the excessive redness they can cause.

Please refer to the list of pre-treatment conditions on each treatment details page.

Clients should avoid plucking, waxing, or electrolysis for 4-6 weeks prior to treatment. Skin should be clean-shaven and thoroughly cleansed, removing any makeup, creams, oils, topical anaesthetics, or self-tanning products before treatment.  Any hair remaining above the skin surface will absorb light that is intended for the hair follicle.  Avoid skin care products with irritants such as Glycolic Acid or Retin-A on the treatment area for about a week. Do not expose the intended treatment area to sunlight or tanning booth light prior to or immediately after treatment.

Unfortunately electric clippers or similar devices don’t achieve a close enough shave. We suggest using a new razor every visit for the closest shave possible. Unlike waxing, our lasers treat the hair bulb underneath the skin. For safety concerns, hairs should never be visible or feel stubbly.

If you’ve been waxing, plucking, epilating, depilating, bleaching or using hair dissolving creams on any hairs in the treatment area, or receiving electrolysis (any method besides shaving) please refrain for a minimum of 4-6 weeks prior to your first session. Shaving is the only approved method of hair management before and during laser hair removal treatments.

Shave as little or as much as you’d like between your sessions.

If you’re having a hard time seeing your bikini area or other places on your body, we recommend using a mirror while you shave in order to get every hair.

For all details, please refer to the treatment details page.

Special glasses are provided during laser hair removal. These glasses block the laser light and prevent this light from damaging your eyes.

A cool compress or aloe vera may be applied for comfort following your treatment. Clients can resume daily activities immediately after treatment. Any redness or swelling should resolve within a few hours. Permanent side effects are rare, and may include redness, swelling, hyperpigmentation, hypopigmentation, blistering and purpura (a laser bruise) in the treated area-these usually do not last more than a few days. Prevent sun exposure by applying sunblock (SPF 30 or above). In the first few days after treatment, do not scrub or rinse the treated areas with abrasive skin cleansers.

Please wear breathable clothing, like cotton, over the treatment area on the day of your treatment in order to prevent overheating the treated follicles and heightening the risk of adverse effects. For facial hairs chose a day you have off of work if a mask is required.

For facial hairs, it would be 1-2 weeks after a treatment.  Body hairs, 3-4 weeks after a treatment.

Approximately 5-10 days after each session, your body will begin the shedding process. Shedding of the surface hair may appear as new hair growth. This is not new hair growth; it’s the hair shaft below the skin being expelled.

It may take 7-14 days for the hair shafts to be fully expelled, with noticeable results appearing within 5 days to a month. The hair growth will be stunted and slower, the hair may be finer and lighter, and patchiness begins to be visible where there are not hairs present. Patchiness will increase after each session until it reaches up to 95% reduction of hairs. The amount of patchiness after a session varies by the individual and the amount of anagen hairs that were present at the time of treatment.

All areas of the body will respond a little differently, some areas may respond better than other areas. We assess each area to verify the probability of success, typically fine and/or light pigmented hairs will not result in an efficacious treatment.

The laser works best on dark, thick hairs, as the laser energy is not attracted to light or fine hairs. Laser hair removal only works on terminal hairs not vellus hairs AKA baby hairs.

Patients undergoing treatment of leg veins should not exercise the day of treatments. These clients should also avoid exercising for five days following the treatment of leg veins. Patients should also avoid excessively hot baths and showers, steam rooms or saunas, alcohol, and any medication that may thin the blood.

Typically most treatments are 4-6 weeks apart. However, this will depend on the indication being treated and where on the body the treatment is being performed.

For hair reduction, treatments for the face, underarms and bikini areas should be performed every 4-6 weeks, while treatments for the trunk of the body are usually necessary every 8-10 weeks.

Treatments for the extremities should be performed every 10-12 weeks.

For pigmented lesions, treatment is recommended at 4-week intervals.

Vascular treatments for the face and upper body are typically performed every 4-6 weeks and for lower extremities or leg veins, every 8 weeks.

Clinical studies have depicted an 80-90% success rate in laser hair reduction. However, every patient responds differently to laser treatments and consequently, there is no guarantee. Results may vary from patient to patient.

Once the hair follicle is damaged, it cannot grow new hair. However, there will always be a few hair follicles that manage to partially escape the laser during each treatment. Some of these follicles may only be stunned temporarily and will need to be retreated. Hormonal changes or certain medications may also cause hair regrowth. After completion of your treatment, some individuals may need a “reminder” treatment session once a year. We treat our patients on a case-by-case basis and will be by your side every step of the way on your permanent hair removal journey.

After you’ve finished all of your sessions, the treatment will last for at least two years; however, maintenance sessions may be needed to keep the area without hair forever. Permanent hair removal is possible when the right steps are taken.

This is rare and generally due to hormones which stimulate new hair follicles to form. The amount of hair left over after the recommended number of laser hair removal treatments will be about 5-8%. The leftover hairs will also be much thinner.

The laser may activate melanin in the skin and cause temporary areas of darkening. The risk of this happening is about 5% in those with medium brown to darker brown skin. It occurs about 2% of the time if you are a Caucasian with lighter skin. If a laser burn occurs, which is extremely rare, this can darken as it heals. Burns are rare, and hyperpigmentation is uncommon. It is important to avoid sun exposure for more than 15 minutes 2-3 weeks before and 2-3 weeks after your laser hair removal.

When areas of skin become lighter, this is called hypopigmentation. There is a small risk of about 3-5% that the skin can become lighter in colour after laser hair removal treatment. If you had sun exposure during 2 to 3 weeks before the treatment, this has a higher likelihood to occur. This is also more common in darker skinned patients. Burns are rare, and hypopigmentation is uncommon, but sun exposure increases the risk. It is important to avoid direct sun exposure for more than 15 minutes 2-3 weeks before and for 2-3 weeks after your laser hair removal. This is why we recommend sunscreen and aloe after laser therapy treatments.

Burns are rare, but can occur even with optimal laser settings. The skin will heal and return to normal. Scarring is extremely rare. Sometimes an increase in pigment can occur especially in darker skin after a burn. An increase in pigmentation may take up to several months to resolve. There are some specific steps that are useful to improve healing after a burn. Keep the area as moist as possible with Aquaphor, Vaseline or Aloe. Moisture is critical to improve the chances of healing favourably well. Use a sterile needle to gently drain blisters while leaving the roof of the blister intact which will protect the skin. Watch for any signs of infection and start topical triple antibiotic or oral antibiotics if this occurs. Avoidance of sun exposure is extremely important and sunscreen should be used after new skin forms. Growth factor serum can also be used under the moisturiser starting 2 weeks after the burn.

Bikini line treats hairs that are outside a standard bikini, we laser a palms width of inner thighs and the top two inches of pubic mound. We offer custom prices for an up charge on coverage that extends outside the bikini line or you may opt to add on upper legs to the bikini line.

Extended bikini includes the bikini line, features a custom patch of pubic hair on the pubic mound (champagne flute/martini glass are more popular shapes) and includes the hair from the labia and the “tailfeathers” AKA the backside.

We offer a true brazilian where all pubic hair is removed, front to back and includes the bikini line. No hairs are left behind.

Please arrive fully shaved with a same day shave or we skip areas or reschedule the appointment, our Candela GentleMax Pro lasers cannot laser over any hairs outside the skin or visible stubble.

Lots of local medispas market their IPL (Intense Pulse Light) treatments as laser hair removal. IPL is not a laser. IPL is less effective and requires many more treatments and is referred to as a semi-permanent solution for hair removal. Our lasers are Health Canada approved for permanent hair reduction of up to 90%. IPL is also the most common culprit of burns and blisters, due to the wavelength not being the appropriate depth to penetrate the hair shaft, causing damage to the skin.

Patients with the following conditions are not eligible for laser hair removal:

• An immune system disorder
• Hypertrophic scarring or keloid formation
• Unhealthy psychology with unrealistic expectations
• Abnormal blood coagulation
• Light energy-sensitive skin
• Diabetes mellitus
• Active skin cancer
• Psoriasis
• Eczema or dermatitis in treatment area
• Active herpes simplex in treatment area
• Accutane use within previous six months
• Unwilling or unable to follow pre/post treatment instructions
• May be pregnant or breastfeeding

Long pulsed laser energy delivered at 3 ms closely matches the Thermal Relaxation Time (TRT) of melanocytes. Heating of the melanocytes in benign pigmented lesions causes thermal damage, resulting in removal of these types of lesions.

Solar lentigines, also known as age spots or liver spots, have long been targeted for removal. These hyper-pigmented patches are sun-induced lesions that do not have a premalignant potential. Removal or destruction has strictly been a cosmetic problem. The face, the backs of the hands, the forearms, and the lower legs are most often involved. Liquid nitrogen cryotherapy has been the standard therapy for years. Prolonged healing, scabbing, and the risk of hyperpigmentation (or more likely, hypopigmentation) have somewhat limited the use of this modality. Topical retinoids, glycolic acid preparations, hydroquinone, and combinations of these products have been used extensively. These products have achieved some success in the lightning, but seldom in the total removal of solar lentigines. Microdermabrasion has very slightly improved these lesions after multiple treatments. Mild chemical peels using glycolic acid or salicylic acid have also shown minimal improvement.

However, lasers and intense pulsed light treatment have moved to the forefront of lentigines treatment.

GentleMax Pro is a dual-wavelength device that is used to treat various pigmentary disorders, provide skin rejuvenation treatments, treat vascular lesions and achieve effective, lasting hair removal. Pigmentary disorders are very effectively treated with the GentleMax Pro’s 755nm Alexandrite laser. With respect to pulse duration, millisecond pulses are used for the treatment of photo damage, freckles, seborrheic keratosis, and lentigines. Recently, Nd:YAG has been used successfully to treat difficult cases of nail fungus as well.

The treatment of leg telangiectasia and reticular veins remains challenging. With modalities varying from sclerotherapy to vein microsurgery, to laser therapy and new endovenous laser treatment, physicians are faced with many choices. While micro– and sclerotherapy, as well as microflebectomy, remain the gold standard, with rates of success approaching 80 percent, recent studies have demonstrated good clearance using different types of lasers. When using lasers to treat leg telangiectasia and reticular veins, the lasing medium must be chosen according to the diameter of the vessels. Long-pulsed dye lasers have been reported to be successful in the treatment of vessels measuring up to 0.5 mm in diameter. More recently, pulsed Nd:YAG lasers have been discussed in the context of leg telangiectasia measuring between 0.1 and 2.0 mm in diameter.

Rosacea is a complex and varied clinical disorder. From a treatment perspective, most dermatologists separate this disease into four different components–erythema or redness, telangiectasia or small red blood vessels, pustule or typical acne lesions, and hypertrophic, raised and thickened areas, especially prevalent on the nose. Topical treatments for rosacea have included metronidazole in creams, lotions and gels, sodium sulfacetamide and sulfur-based creams and lotions, hydrocortisone creams and lotions, and azaleicacid gels and creams. Topical treatments have only shown modest improvement in most cases of rosacea. Oral antibiotics have been most helpful in treating the pustular component of rosacea. However, lasers have been used for many years to treat the telangiectatic component of rosacea. Using the GentleMax Pro Nd:YAG 1064 nm wavelength is a new and effective technique for treating facial redness and telangiectasia.