(Eric Towne Square)
120 Hebron Avenue
Suite 200
Glastonbury, CT 06033
Altus CoolGlide® laser hair removal, used at our Glastonbury, Connecticut office serving Hartford and the New Haven area, is designed specifically to eliminate unwanted hair from the body. A non-invasive light therapy device, the Altus CoolGlide® laser produces a concentrated pulse of light that is directed through a cooled hand piece and gently applied to the treatment area.
The laser energy from CoolGlide® laser hair removal passes through the skin to the hair follicle. The carefully determined pulses of laser energy are then absorbed by pigment in the hair and hair follicle, which causes selective damage to the hair root without damaging other structures of the skin.
Some of the treated hair is wiped off immediately following laser hair removal while the rest is shed over the next two to three weeks. The body will reabsorb the destroyed hair roots.
Cooling gel pads applied immediately before and after laser hair removal protects the surface of the skin. This process selectively protects the skin, while simultaneously treating unwanted hair.
CoolGlide® laser hair removal treats many hairs at once by using a wide beam. This wide beam makes it possible to treat large areas such as the back, shoulders, arms, legs, and face.
Available at our Glastonbury office serving Hartford and New Haven, laser hair removal is safe, fast, and usually requires no anesthesia or anesthetic. In just a few laser hair removal treatment sessions at our Glastonbury, Connecticut practice, you can effectively eliminate unwanted hair.
Older laser hair removal and intense pulsed light systems utilized short wavelength lasers. While these older, short wavelength models produce good results in some circumstances; their laser energy scatters and is mostly absorbed in the top few millimeters of the skin above many of the hair roots. Not enough energy reaches the hair roots or if it does, sometimes the energy merely stuns the roots causing temporary hair reductions instead of long-term ones. Additionally, short wavelength lasers are difficult to use on people with dark, black skin, or tanned.
By contrast, the new CoolGlide® laser uses the longest wavelength available. CoolGlide® laser hair removal reaches even the deepest hair roots, which can be four to six millimeters below the skin surface. The deep penetrating wavelength of the CoolGlide® laser hair removal system makes it possible to safely and effectively treat patients with very dark, tanned, or black skin.
All parts of the body can be treated with CoolGlide® laser hair removal. The most common laser hair removal treatment areas for women are the upper lip, chin, bikini line, arms, legs, and underarms. The most common laser hair removal treatment areas for men are the back, shoulders, upper arms, chest, and abdomen. At our office in Glastonbury serving Hartford and the New Haven, Connecticut area, laser hair removal is not used to treat the eyebrows, though we do treat patients with a “unibrow.”
The main benefits of laser hair removal include:
Other techniques such as waxing, shaving, and depilatory creams remove the hair but leave the follicles intact allowing the hair to grow back. CoolGlide® laser hair removal, available at our Connecticut office, provides you with a long-term reduction in the thickness and color of hair shafts.
Available at our office in Glastonbury serving those in Hartford and the New Haven area, laser hair removal disables a large number of hair follicles with each pulse of laser light. Electrolysis can only treat hairs that the machine operator can see. Altus CoolGlide® laser hair removal treats all active follicles, even if the hair is ingrown, has not yet reached the surface of the skin, or if the hair shaft is not straight.
| AREA | SESSION FEE | SESSION FEE/ PACKAGE | PACKAGE FEE (4 SESSIONS) | PACKAGE SAVINGS |
| FACE | ||||
| UPPER LIP | $135 | $108 | $432 | $108 |
| CHIN | $200 | $160 | $640 | $160 |
| NECK (Front) | $200 | $160 | $640 | $160 |
| UPPER LIP & CHIN | $225 | $180 | $720 | $180 |
| LIP, CHIN, & NECK | $375 | $300 | $1200 | $300 |
| LIP, NECK (Front) | $250 | $200 | $800 | $200 |
| CHIN, NECK (Front) | $300 | $240 | $960 | $240 |
| CHEEKS | $250 | $200 | $800 | $200 |
| FULL FACE | $400 | $320 | $1280 | $320 |
| SIDE BURNS | $200 | $160 | $640 | $160 |
| BROWS (Between) | $100 | $80 | $320 | $80 |
| HEAD | ||||
| FULL NECK | $400 | $320 | $1280 | $320 |
| NECK (Front) | $200 | $160 | $640 | $160 |
| NECK (Back) | $200 | $160 | $640 | $160 |
| TORSO (Upper) | ||||
| BREASTS (Areola Area) | $250 | $200 | $800 | $200 |
| BACK (Full) | $600 | $480 | $1920 | $480 |
| BACK (Upper) | $400 | $320 | $1280 | $320 |
| BACK (Lower) | $375 | $300 | $1200 | $300 |
| SHOULDERS | $250 | $200 | $800 | $200 |
| BACK & SHOULDERS | $750 | $600 | $2400 | $600 |
| BACK, SHOULDERS, & UNDERARMS | $1000 | $800 | $3200 | $800 |
| CHEST | $400 | $320 | $1280 | $320 |
| CHEST & ABDOMEN | $700 | $560 | $2240 | $560 |
| TORSO (Lower) | ||||
| ABDOMEN (Large) | $400 | $320 | $1280 | $320 |
| ABDOMEN (Small) | $250 | $200 | $800 | $200 |
| BIKINI | $325 | $260 | $1040 | $260 |
| LINEA | $125 | $100 | $400 | $100 |
| BIKINI & LINEA | $425 | $340 | $1360 | $340 |
| LIMBS | ||||
| AXILLAE (Underarms) | $250 | $200 | $800 | $200 |
| ARMS (Includes Hands) | $450 | $360 | $1440 | $360 |
| ARMS & SHOULDERS | $550 | $440 | $1760 | $440 |
| UPPER ARMS | $275 | $220 | $880 | $220 |
| UPPER ARMS & SHOULDERS | $425 | $340 | $1360 | $340 |
| LEGS (Includes both) | $425 | $340 | $1360 | $340 |
| THIGHS (Includes both) | $425 | $340 | $1360 | $340 |
| LEGS & THIGHS | $700 | $560 | $2240 | $560 |
| THIGHS & BIKINI | $600 | $480 | $1920 | $480 |
| LEGS & BIKINI | $600 | $480 | $1920 | $480 |
Most insurance companies do not cover aesthetic treatments like laser hair removal.
Generally you cannot include medical expenses paid for cosmetic surgery. This includes procedures such as face-lifts, hair transplants, and liposuction. These expenses can be included if they are necessary to improve a deformity related to a congenital abnormality, a personal injury resulting from an accident or trauma, or a disfiguring disease. The Plastic Surgery Center, serving Glastonbury, Hartford, and New Haven, Connecticut, would not include a statement about tax deductibility since it would be difficult for laser hair removal to fit into one of these exceptions.
The short-term side effects of laser hair removal may include swelling and slight reddening of the skin. Newer laser hair removal machines, such as the CoolGlide® laser offered at our Glastonbury, Connecticut office, are less likely than older lasers to cause prolonged pigment changes, irritation, or blistering. In rare instances (two to four cases out of a hundred) there can be increased or decreased pigment in the treated area. This is often a minor problem and is resolved after several months. Blisters ( similar to tiny sunburns) are very rare and occur in less than one in a hundred laser hair removals.
With laser hair removal , you do not run the risk of hair growing back thicker, darker, or quicker, which may happen with other hair removal techniques such as plucking, waxing, and sugaring. After laser hair removal, when hair does grow back, it is often less dense, finer, and lighter.
There is currently no hair removal method that can provide permanent hair removal.
After four to six laser hair removal treatments at our Glastonbury, Connecticut office, you should experience a substantial reduction in the amount of hair as well as a reduction in the color and thickness of treated hair.
Since laser hair removal has only been used in the last seven years, there is no data on if results will continue in the next 10 or 20 years. However, results have shown that with laser hair removal, long-tem, stable hair reduction lasts for at least two years. Some laser hair removal patients who received treatment six or seven years ago still experience a substantial amount of hair reduction.
You should not expect to be “hair free” after laser hair removal. Most of our Glastonbury, Hartford, and New Haven area laser hair removal patients experience a 60-90% reduction in the amount, color, and thickness of hair in the treated area.
After six months , a follow-up visit may be required to assess your case after the last laser hair removal session at our Glastonbury, Connecticut office. Usually within six months, your hair re-growth should stabilize. There is often little or no change in hair counts for up to two years following laser hair removal.
Hair re-growth may resume within a few weeks following your first laser hair removal at our Connecticut office serving those in the New Haven area. In some laser hair removal cases, it may be anywhere from two to four months before any true hair growth is observed. Some of our Glastonbury, Hartford, and New Haven laser hair removal patients find that there is little hair reduction after the second treatment but notice substantial reduction results after the third or fourth treatment. There may be little or no re-growth for many years after receiving four to six laser hair removal treatments. The hair that grows back following laser hair removal is generally lighter in color and finer.
All laser hair removal treatments work by disabling hair in its active growth cycle. The laser will not affect dormant hair follicles. Our Glastonbury, Hartford, and New Haven laser hair removal patients often schedule additional treatments in order to treat dormant hair follicles once they become active.
Patients also schedule additional laser hair removal treatments at our Glastonbury, Connecticut office to treat hair follicles that were stunned but not disabled during previous treatment. As it turns out, only one-fourth to one-third of your hairs have sufficient pigment to be affected by the laser. Scheduling multiple laser hair removal sessions helps eliminate as much of the unwanted hair in the treatment area as possible.
Additionally, vellus or “peach fuzz” follicles are not affected by laser hair removal but can produce dark terminal hair in the future. When these “peach fuzz” follicles mature, they can be treated with laser hair removal at that time.
The number of laser hair removal sessions required will depend upon:
There’s no need to worry. CoolGlide® laser hair removal offered at our Glastonbury, Connecticut practice has been successfully used on people who could not tolerate or did not receive satisfactory results with older laser hair removal machines and electrolysis.
The CoolGlide® laser’s unique design allows people of all skin colors and most hair colors to receive laser hair removal at our office serving Glastonbury, Hartford, and the New Haven, Connecticut area . Laser hair removal is not just for cosmetic problems but can be used to treat patients with excess hair due to medications or who have problems with folliculitis and ingrown hair.
Laser hair removal works best on black and brown hair. Unfortunately white and gray hair does not respond to laser hair removal. It is best to receive laser hair removal before your hair begins to lose color. It should also be noted that naturally red or blonde hair does not have enough pigment in the roots to be affected by laser hair removal.
For the best laser hair removal results with the fewest treatment sessions, space your treatments four to twelve weeks apart. It takes roughly that amount of time for the next group of hair roots to become active.
We recommend pretreatment with antiviral medications if you have a high incidence of cold sores, fever blisters, or herpes simplex on or near the area to be treated with the laser. Please let us know if you have a history of any of these.
Prior to laser hair removal on those with darker skin, we may designate a small test area to treat with various laser energy levels. These test areas are used to determine the best level of energy to use on a patient to ensure safety, comfort, and effectiveness. In general, those with lighter skin do not require a test area, though one is sometimes done to see how the skin will respond and heal following laser hair removal treatment.
During laser hair removal, you may feel a slight snapping sensation like a rubber band, but the laser does not produce an open wound or cause any bleeding. The use of cooling pads during laser hair removal lessens any discomfort you may experience.
Many patients find that shaving the treatment area a day or two before the laser hair removal session minimizes discomfort. Those who have had sugaring, waxing, laser hair removal, or electrolysis in the past usually report less or no discomfort during treatment.
For patients with a very low pain threshold, we can apply a topical numbing cream an hour before laser hair removal. Tylenol may also be taken a few hours prior to laser hair removal treatment, though most patients feel it is unnecessary.
You can expect some pinkness or redness of the treatment area that will generally fade by the time you get home. It’s common for the skin of the treatment area to be drier than usual in that evening.
Even if treatment is effective, laser hair removal does not affect all active hair shafts immediately. The hair will usually be shed in the two to three weeks following the laser hair removal session at our Glastonbury, Connecticut office. Any hair that does not fall out in those two to three weeks will be treated in the next laser hair removal session.
Following laser hair removal , you can resume all your regular activities and return to work the next day. There are no bandages required since the laser does not burn or cut the skin.
Please see our Post-Treatment Instructions for more information.
On the day of your laser hair removal session, please come to our Connecticut office wearing NO MAKE-UP. Please DO NOT USE LOTIONS, CREAMS, SERUMS, TANNERS, OR ANY OTHER SKIN PRODUCTS on the areas to be treated as the laser could interact with these. This includes the legs if you are having laser hair removal treatment on the extremities.
Please shave, clip, or cut, the areas to be treated two days prior to laser hair removal. The skin will be less sensitive. Shaving before you come in also allows you to shape the exact area you want treated. This is particularly useful in the bikini area.
Please try to minimize tanning for two weeks before laser hair removal. A fresh tan can potentially interfere with the effectiveness of the laser hair removal treatment.
Some women who find that they are less sensitive after their menses prefer to schedule their laser hair removal sessions to avoid the premenstrual and menstrual time.
The following should be stopped at least two weeks prior to laser hair removal:
(You may need to stop these treatments more than two weeks prior to laser hair removal. Please consult with you healthcare provider)
(If you have Oral Herpes eruptions, but it is not currently active, your practitioner may put you on an anti-viral medication. Discuss with your practitioner)
(Your suntan must be at least two weeks old. This includes tanning beds and self-tanners)
Let your practitioner know if you have very sensitive skin, i.e. eczema, seborrheic dermatitis, rosecea, folliculitis, or other conditions.
When coming to our New Haven area office for laser hair removal, do not wear dark clothes because dark colors will absorb the light from the laser.
Following laser hair removal, it is most important that you moisturize the treated area at least four times per day. You cannot over moisturize. Simply apply a light film of either Aquaphor® or Vaseline. You must use the Aquaphor® for at least five days after your laser hair removal treatment. Do not use other moisturizers as they may contain irritating products. Bacitracin and Neosporin® are not usually recommended, as some patients will display skin sensitivity or allergic reaction to antibiotics. After five days, if the skin has returned to normal, you may use a moisturizer that is dye, perfume, and fragrance free. If you need this type of moisturizer, these are available through our Glastonbury office serving those in Hartford and the New Haven , Connecticut area. You should also cleanse the skin twice a day after your laser hair removal treatment. You may use Cetaphil® cleanser or one of our cleansers. Please pat the skin dry instead of rubbing. Moisturize immediately after cleansing.
After laser hair removal, do nothing to the area other than moisturize with the Aquaphor®. YOU CANNOT CUT OR SHAVE THE AREA TREATED FOR THREE DAYS.
Make-up may be applied 24 hours after laser hair removal as long as there is no inflammation, irritation, or severe redness of the treated areas. If scabbing or crusting occurs, no make-up should be applied until these have cleared. These crusts are more common after vascular vein laser therapy and are not usually serious. If you had laser hair removal and crusts develop, call our Glastonbury, Connecticut office.
Working out, aerobic exercise, weight lifting, treadmills, etc. should be delayed for 24 hours since perspiration may aggravate the treated area.
Patients should avoid excessive sun exposure for two weeks. After 24 hours you may apply sunscreen as long as there are no breaks in the skin, crusting, scabbing, or inflamed areas.
If you have any swelling or discomfort at the treated site, cold packs or cold compresses may be applied.
If you experience any pain, you may use two extra-strength Tylenol every four hours. Do not use Aspirin or Advil (ibuprofen) for two weeks.
After laser hair removal, you should avoid the following for two weeks:
The following reactions may occur after laser hair removal:
These reactions will resolve within 24 hours.
If any of these adverse reactions to laser hair removal develop in the first 24 hours, please contact our Glastonbury, Connecticut office. Do NOT scratch or pick the area. Do NOT put any creams or medications on until you have spoken to the office.
If your skin returns to normal after laser hair removal but symptoms (rash, pain, swelling, etc.) appear a day or two later, contact our Glastonbury, Connecticut office.
If you are having another laser hair removal in a few weeks, please consult your written Pre-Laser Treatment guidelines again to remind yourself of those products, treatments, and activities you must avoid.
If you are a resident of Glastonbury, Hartford, or New Haven interested in laser hair removal or if you would like to schedule a consultation for laser hair removal in Connecticut, please contact Dr. Bruce Burnham at The Plastic Surgery Center today.