Laser hair removal FAQ

What are the most popular areas for laser hair removal? - The most popular areas are female facial hair, bikini line hair and back hair for men.
How long has Ideal Image been in existence? - The Tampa headquarters opened in September 2001. Ideal Image now has locations all over the United States and Internationally. We've performed over 100,000 treatments without complications.
How long has laser technology been in use? - Lasers have been used in medicine for 20 years. Laser hair removal began 10 years ago, but hair removal laser technology has really progressed in the last five years.
What is the difference between pulsed light and lasers? - Pulsed light is not laser. While pulsed light is effective and can be used for other services, our experience supports the more powerful laser treatment for hair removal. Pulsed light is generally less safe for darker skin colors.
How is laser different from Electrolysis? - Electrolysis treatment is one hair at a time. Laser is much quicker. An area like the underarms, for example, can be treated in just 10 minutes.
What are the risks of hair removal? - Laser hair removal is a lunch time procedure. There is no recovery time. Patients can return to work or play immediately. These lasers do not remove skin, so the risks are very low. As with any procedure, we have an informed consent that explains all the possible risks.
How old do you have to be for laser hair removal? - There really is no age limit, but we never treat toddlers. Young people that are not finished growing will develop new hair as they grow, and will require touch ups to maintain the results. We currently do not treat children under the age of 13. Older people usually have gray hair that will not respond to laser.
Is it painful? - Everyone's pain tolerance is different. People have compared it to a rubber band snap against the skin. Compared to waxing the treatment has very little discomfort. If you do find it uncomfortable, we can prescribe TAC (Triple Anesthetic Cream) to the skin prior to treatment. We think TAC is helpful for men's beards, women's full Brazilians and any areas where the hair is dark and very coarse.