Laser Hair Removal

After a pre-treatment consultation with Dr Simon Sebbah to determine the areas to be treated and the nature of the hair, the laser hair removal session can begin.

Depending on the areas to be treated, a laser hair removal session lasts between 15 and 60 minutes.

To limit patient discomfort, the CLARITY II laser is equipped with a cold pulsed air system that minimises the sensation of heat and tingling felt during a session. For certain more sensitive areas, a numbing cream will be applied one hour before the session.

At the end of the session, a soothing moisturising cream is applied to the treated area(s) and the patient can resume their activities immediately. No social downtime is required. Results are immediate.

On average, 6 to 8 sessions spaced 4 to 8 weeks apart (without exceeding 12 weeks between two sessions) are needed to permanently remove hair. Indeed, only hairs in the growth phase can be removed by the laser, so it is necessary to wait until all the hairs in the targeted area reach this phase before they can be treated.

Laser hair removal can be performed on men and women of all ages and skin types. However, prior consent must be signed for minor patients, and the session must be carried out in the presence of a parent.

This treatment cannot be performed on pregnant women or alongside certain medications. Laser hair removal cannot be performed on a tattooed area (in which case we recommend electrolysis).

The treated area must not have been exposed to the sun in the month before the session.

Following a session, the treated area may show slight swelling and/or redness, which will disappear within a few days after the procedure. It is recommended not to expose the area to the sun for the two weeks following a laser hair removal session.

Yes, this is entirely possible, but it requires a few precautions. For dark or mixed-race skin, we use a specifically suited laser (Nd:YAG), which allows the skin to be treated safely.

However, if your skin is tanned because you have recently been in the sun, it is best to wait a few weeks. An active tan increases the risk of burns, even with a high-performance device. Your safety is always our priority.

A few simple steps will help achieve the best results:

• Shave the area to be treated 24 to 48 hours before your appointment
• Having a small amount of visible hair growth optimises the result
• No waxing, tweezing or electric epilation for the entire duration of the treatment, as the laser needs the hair bulb to be effective
• Watch out for sun exposure, UV rays and self-tanners for the 4 weeks before each session
• On the day of the appointment, come with clean skin, with no cream, oil, perfume or deodorant on the area to be treated

There is no "mandatory" age, but it is generally best to wait until hormones are more stable. In practice, this often corresponds to around 20-25 years old for women and a little later for men. Starting too early is not dangerous, but hormonal changes can stimulate new hair growth and make the treatment less durable, requiring more maintenance sessions. Every situation is different: we always review this with you during the consultation.

In the vast majority of cases, no. Laser hair removal is considered a cosmetic medical procedure.

However, certain medical situations may qualify for partial coverage, particularly in cases of hirsutism linked to a hormonal disorder such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), subject to approval from the national health insurance. We can guide you through the process if you think you may be eligible.

Not at all. The laser beam targets the pigmentation of the hair, so as long as your skin is healthy and your hair is sufficiently pigmented (dark), the laser can be performed regardless of your age.

Melanin is divided into 2 subgroups: eumelanin (brown to black) and pheomelanin (red to yellow). The laser mainly acts on eumelanin, the dark pigment contained in the hair.

Patients with dark hair have mostly eumelanin, whereas patients with blonde or red hair have more pheomelanin, which responds less well to the laser. Patients with grey or white hair have almost no eumelanin, so the laser will be ineffective. Electrolysis is the most effective solution to offer in these cases.

Yes. Some areas are more influenced by hormones, particularly the face, bikini line and inner thighs in women, as well as the shoulders and beard in men. These areas often require a few more sessions and can sometimes show what is known as paradoxical hair growth, a rare phenomenon where very fine down becomes thicker. This is precisely why a personalised assessment is essential before starting.

Yes, this can happen. The significant hormonal fluctuations of pregnancy can reactivate certain hair follicles that had previously been "dormant". A few maintenance sessions after pregnancy and breastfeeding are usually enough to restore the previous result.

Hair removal laser should never be used directly on a tattoo. The tattoo ink would absorb the laser's energy, which could cause a burn or even a scar in that area and damage the tattoo at the same time.

We therefore systematically protect this area by working around it with a 1cm safety margin.

No. Moles contain a lot of melanin and must never be exposed directly to the laser. This could damage the structure of the mole and make it harder to monitor. Before each session, they are protected by applying a specific white pencil over each mole, or carefully avoided.

No, absolutely not. Medical lasers use non-ionising light: they contain no UV rays or X-rays, and do not alter the DNA of skin cells. To date, no scientific study has shown a link between medical laser hair removal and skin cancer.

The sensation is often compared to a small elastic band snap on the skin. It is generally very tolerable, especially since our laser is equipped with a cold-air cooling system that considerably improves comfort.

If you are particularly sensitive:

• a numbing cream can be prescribed by your doctor and applied 1 to 2 hours before the session
• if possible, avoid scheduling your appointment just before or during your period, when the skin is often more sensitive