Laser hair removal is the #1 procedure done in the USA, but it can create problems for women with darker skin. If it’s not done properly, you can get burned, which means you can experience discoloration and even blistering. Pigmentation and burning occurs because it is too hard for most lasers to differentiate between the darkness in hair and the darkness of the skin — until now! Here’s some good news: Dr. Katz tells us that the laser Vectus works for everyone! “The laser has a skintel melanin reader that reads the level of melanin, or pigment, in one’s skin. Based on the reading, it tells the laser what the safe setting is. It’s more tailored to the individual,” Dr. Katz explains. That means it’s safer than other lasers.
“When your skin changes — in summer, any skin type is darker, or if you have a tan in the middle of winter on vacation — that’s when people tend to get burned. With skintel melanin, you can adjust the settings right away. The technology is very precise,” he adds. Dr. Katz recommends seeing a derm for Vectus treatment, as you aren’t likely to receive the same top-of-the-line technology and treatment at a “medi-spa” or laser hair removal center.
You can start the process as early as in your late teenage years, and almost everybody sees results. “The only people who do not get results are people with blonde, white or gray facial or body hair because they don’t have pigment in the hair,” Dr. Katz advises. You can say goodbye to discoloration and shadowing, since there are no side effects. Of course, you want to know if it’s painful: “We put numbing cream on the areas — bikini, upper lip, etc. — so it is perfectly tolerable,” Dr. Katz assures. Depending on the size of the area, a procedure costs $100-$700 per area, per session. A session lasts for a few minutes for smaller areas, and half an hour for larger areas. After 4 or 5 sessions, the hair is gone for good: “It’s permanent!”
HollywoodLifers, would you try the Vectus laser? Let us know below!
— Gabriella Ginsberg