We offer financing through Credit Medical Corporation, a Canadian corporation based in Toronto. If you have a credit card, you will almost certainly qualify for financing through Credit Medical. Interest rates vary according to your credit rating. Generally, they are less than credit cards and more than banks. Application forms are available at reception.
Does OHIP or private insurance cover laser hair removal?
OHIP does not cover the cost of laser hair removal.
Most private insurance companies consider laser hair removal to be "cosmetic", and therefore, they do not provide coverage. Check with your insurer.
Occasionally people use their Health Benefit Accounts from work to pay for laser hair removal. Generally, you can use the money in these accounts for any service provided by a doctor. Our clinic qualifies, because all consultations are done by a physician and treatments are supervised by a physician.
Is laser hair removal eligible for tax credits?
Since we are a medical clinic, we can provide you with a receipt for medical expenses that can be probably be used for tax purposes. Check with your accountant.
All treatments are done by a female technician or nurse. They are well trained and very experienced.
Please note, that the only male on staff is the doctor. If you insist on being treated by him, all treatments will be done on a time basis at $450 per hour.
What are the risks of laser hair removal?
Laser hair removal is very safe, but there are some risks.
The laser hair removal might cause some pain. (See the question above about pain.)
Mild redness is normal and usually lasts an hour or two. Rarely, it may persist for a few days.
The intense light of the laser can cause burning and blistering, but this is very rare, especially with the CoolGlide laser. Blistering may lead to permanent scarring.
Pigment changes can occur. This can be increased pigmentation or decreased pigmentation in the treated area. This is rare with the Harmony IPL and Soprano, and we have never seen any pigment changes with the CoolGlide laser. Pigment changes are almost always temporary, lasting perhaps a few months. Increased pigmentation can be treated with creams. There is no treatment for decreased pigmentation.
Occasionally people develop a light-induced rash (photodermatitis), which can be intensely itchy but goes away on its own in a few days. It can be treated with cortisone cream. We see photodermatitis about once a year. Sometimes, the inflammation caused by photodermatitis will leave behind spotty pigmentation that takes weeks to months to resolve.
Your eyes can be injured by laser light, so you will be provided with glasses or goggles to keep you safe.
Does laser hair removal increase my risk for skin cancer?
Absolutely not. The wavelength of light that produces skin cancer is in the ultraviolet range of the spectrum.
The CoolGlide and Soprano produce light at the opposite end of the spectrum in the infrared range. It will not cause skin cancer.
The Harmony IPL has filters that block out the light in the ultraviolet range.
Will laser hair removal make my hair coarser?
No. The goal of laser hair removal is to prevent the re-growth of hair. Hair follicles that are destroyed will not regenerate. Hair follicles that are only injured may continue to produce hair. In most cases this hair is lighter in color and finer in texture (like peach fuzz).
Can laser hair removal achieve complete removal of all hair?
There is no system of hair removal that will ever achieve total elimination of hair. You will always have some hair. The laser may disable up to 50% of hair follicles in the first treatment. In the second treatment 50% of what remains might be destroyed. Again in the third treatment 50% of what remains might be destroyed, and so on. After six treatments only about 1-2% of hair follicles survive. At this point most people are very happy with the results.
The laser does not eliminate vellus hair (peach fuzz). Vellus hair can convert over time into terminal (coarse) hair. This is a natural process of aging caused by hormone effects.
The goal of treatment is significant hair reduction.
Is laser hair removal really permanent?
Hair follicles that are killed by the laser will not regenerate. Hair follicles that are only damaged may continue to produce hair. Some follicles are not damaged at all.
Don't forget the concept of conversion of vellus hair follicles. Peach fuzz can convert under the influence of hormones and aging to new coarse hair. The laser will not stimulate this conversion of vellus to terminal hair. This is a natural process we all undergo.
The goal of treatment is long-term hair reduction.
How many treatments will be required?
With each treatment, only a certain percentage of hair follicles are destroyed. If 50% of hair follicles are destroyed with the first treatment and 50% of the remaining hair follicles are destroyed with the next treatment and so on, after four treatments approximately 90% hair reduction would be achieved. However, 50% reduction with each treatment cannot necessarily be achieved. The success of each treatment depends on many factors including hair color (darker is easier to treat), hair texture (finer is harder to treat), skin color (darker is harder to treat), and hormone status (excess testosterone stimulates conversion of vellus hair to terminal hair).
Coarse hair usually needs about 6 treatments. Fine hair might need 10 or more sessions.
What I can expect following treatment?
With the CoolGlide, immediately following treatment you may experience some redness and slight swelling of the skin. In almost all cases these effects are gone in the first hour.
With IPL there may be redness and heat that will last for a few hours.
With the Soprano, there are usually no effects following treatment. The skin looks and feels normal.
You can return to your daily activities immediately following treatment.
Immediately following treatment with the CoolGlide laser and Harmony IPL, you may be able to wipe away some of the hair that has been destroyed. However, you are not likely to see an appreciable reduction in the amount of hair immediately. Hair reduction will only become evident over the next few weeks. For a few weeks following treatment, hair follicles that have actually been destroyed might look like they are stilll making hair. In fact, this is simply damaged hair that is being slowly expelled from the follicles. These damaged hairs are easily pulled from the skin. Undamaged hair is still firmly attached and cannot easily be plucked.
Should I avoid tanning prior to treatment?
Yes and no. Tanning stimulates the production of melanin in the skin. This pigment absobs energy and can lead to burns or pgment changes.
It is safe to treat tanned skin with the CoolGlide, but we may need to use lower energy. Lower energy means each individual treatment is a bit less effective, so more treatments may be required. More treatments means more expense, so to save money, avoid getting a tan prior to treatment.
If you tan easily, your skin may get too dark for us to continue to use the painless Soprano laser. You might suffer spotty bleaching of your skin. This will persist for several weeks to months. The same is true for the Harmony IPL.
Laser and IPL can stimulate melanin production. If tanning and laser treatment are combined, melanin production may be excessive leading to hyperpigmentation. It is recommended that you avoid active tanning for at least three days prior to and following treatments.
What skin colors can be treated?
The CoolGlide laser is safe and effective for people of all colors. However, because dark skin absorbs more laser light, treatment energy must be reduced to keep the skin safe. Lower energy means each individual treatment is a bit less effective, so more treatments may be required.
The Soprano and Harmony cannot be used in dark-skinned people because of the risk of burning and pigment changes.
What hair colors can be treated?
Dark hair is easy to treat.
Red and blonde hair contains less melanin. Therefore, more treatments are required and response may only be partial.
Gray and white hair contains no melanin. It cannot be treated using any type of light.
Absolutely! In fact, you should shave prior to treatments. The laser is targeting the hair root, which is unaffected by shaving (and depilatory creams). Shaving removes hair above the surface that can absorb the laser light and reduce the amount of energy delivered to the roots. The laser will burn surface hair, which can add discomfort to the treatment, not to mention the distasteful odor of burned hair!
Shaving prior to treatment also allows you to show us exactly the area you want treated, which is important for bikini lines and men’s necks and backs.
Unlike waxing, plucking, threading etc. we don’t need hair above the surface for the treatment to work, so you can shave between treatments (until you never need to shave again!).
Shaving will not make your hair coarser, denser or faster growing! This deeply entrenched popular misconception has been thoroughly disproved by dermatology studies!
Can I pluck, wax, tweeze, thread, or sugar between laser treatments?
No. These hair removal techniques remove the hair root, which is the target for the laser. If there is no hair in the follicle, no energy is absorbed, and the hair follicle is left undamaged. You must wait four to six weeks after using one of these techniques to allow regrowth of target hairs for the laser.
Can I dye or bleach my hair?
Dyeing does not affect the roots. Therefore, the melanin in the hair follicle is still present to act as a target for the laser. Conversely, dyeing blonde, gray, or white hair will not increase the efficiency of the laser.
Our experience has shown that bleaching dark hair might reduce the efficiency of the laser. It seems that some of the bleach does get into the follicle and lighten the hair colour making it a more difficult target. We recommend that you avoid bleaching.
How can I get the best value from each treatment?
Do not pluck, wax, tweeze, thread, or sugar for six weeks prior to treatment.
Although it is permissible to tan prior to treatment, this adds pigment to the skin and therefore requires lowering of the energy of the laser to protect the skin. This reduces the efficiency of hair removal, and may necessitate an extra treatment. It is preferable to avoid tanning for a few weeks prior to treatment.
Don't bleach your hair.
How long do treatments take?
Treatment time varies according to the size of the area being covered and the device used.
The upper lip is a very small area that can be covered in a few minutes. Both lower legs will require approximately 1 hour. A man's back will require about 1 hour.
Treatment times are shorter when the Soprano is used.
At what intervals are treatments repeated?
You should allow an interval of 6 to 12 weeks between laser treatments on the same area.
Hair follicles have a life-cycle with three phases. In Phase 1 there is actively growing hair in the follicle. In Phase 2 the hair stops growing and begins to loosen. In Phase 3 the hair falls out. The cycle is then repeated. Laser treatment is most effective during the active growth in Phase 1. It is ineffective in Phase 3 when there is no hair in the follicle.
At least 6 weeks is required for enough hair follicles to return to Phase 1 to make the next treatment effective. There is no advantage to waiting longer than 12 weeks.
What should I do to prepare for treatment?
Avoid waxing, plucking, etc for at least six weeks prior to treatment.
Avoid tanning.
Shave the area you want us to treat. This should be done the day prior to treatment. Shaving the day prior to treatment allows the skin time to recover from the irritation of shaving and reduces any discomfort of the procedure. Allowing one day of growth before treatment helps us to see the area to be treated.
Do not apply makeup or deodorants. These can absorb the energy of the laser light, reducing the efficiency of treatment and increasing the risk of burning.
Remove reflective jewelry in the area to be treated. Directly reflected laser light can cause serious eye damage to the laser technician.
Wear clothing that will allow easy access to the area to be treated (eg. tank top or sleeveless shirt for underarms; skirt, track pants, or loose pants for legs). For bikini line, wear an old swimsuit or under pants. The laser is easily capable of burning natural fibers and melting synthetic material.
The Soprano is painless. You might feel some warmth. If it gets hot, the treatment can be slowed down a bit to make it completely comfortable.
The CoolGlide causes some pain. Some laser pulses feel like the snapping of an elastic band or a mild electric tingle or shock. Other laser pulses are not felt at all. Most people who have experienced waxing and electrolysis prefer laser treatments.
The Harmony IPL also causes some pain. It feels hot.
Certain areas of the body are more sensitive than other areas. There is likely to be greater discomfort over bony areas such as the shin. The area just below the nose is very sensitive. In the underarms, there are large nerves that pass close to the surface that may be sensitive to treatment.
How does the Soprano accomplish painless hair removal?
All lasers for hair removal prior to the Soprano worked by shooting single high intensity pulses of light at each spot. This high energy causes pain.
The Soprano shoots ten low intensity pulses per second while the laser is moved quickly back and forth over an area about the size of your palm. Each pulse is too weak to be felt, but as the laser goes back and forth over the same area several times, heat is gradually added. The hair heats up and burns, because it is dark, but the skin only gets warm. No pain!
What can be done to minimize the discomfort?
Most people qualify for treatment with the Soprano, so this question is not relevant.
For dark-skinned people who need to be treated with the CoolGlide, there are several things you can do to reduce the discomfort.
Shaving prior to treatment removes hair from the surface that would otherwise burn and add to the discomfort. Shave the day before. Avoid shaving immediately prior to treatment, because shaving sensitizes the skin.
The CoolGlide laser uses a gold-plated cooling tip that cools the skin to protect it and reduce discomfort. Cooling gel packs can also be used to reduce discomfort. We also use a device called a Zimmer that blows cold air over the area being treated to reduce discomfort.
Topical anesthetic creams can be used to numb the skin. It needs to be applied thirty to sixty mintes prior to treatment and left in place until immediately before treatment.
It is perfectly reasonable to take analgesics such as Tylenol, Advil, or codeine prior to treatment, but this is rarely done. It is also perfectly reasonable to take tranquilizers such as Ativan or Xanax. Prescriptions can be provided upon request.
What are my restrictions after treatment?
Other than avoidance of the sun, there aren't any restrictions.
You can return to work or other daily activities immediately.
You should avoid sunlight and tanning beds for at least three days following treatment. This allows the skin time to settle and reduces the risk of developing excess pigment. Sunscreen should be employed with minimum SPF 15. SPF 30 to 60 is preferred. We offer sunscreens that have broad-spectrum protection for UV-A and UV-B.
You can shave between treatments, but avoid plucking and waxing.
Can my children be treated?
We prefer to treat adolescent girls only once their menstrual cycle has settled. Generally, age 16 and up is not a problem. This is not a hard and fast rule. We have treated many 14 and 15 year olds.
We will not treat children under the age of 12, unless there is a medical reason (for example, treatment of a hairy nevus).
What is your cancellation policy?
We require 48 hours notice for cancellation of your consultation or treatment, in order to fill the appointment time. If sufficient notice is not given, the full value of the treatment to be done will be charged. If you have purchased a package, and you miss an appointment without giving sufficient notice, then that treatment is deemed to have been given, and you will receive one less treatment than you paid for.
How do I book an appointment?
Just
click here or call (905) 853-3200.
| Women |
|
|
| Area |
per session |
package of 6 |
| Upper lip |
$109 |
$545 |
| Chin (jaw line) |
$109 |
$545 |
| Chin (jawline plus neck) |
$169 |
$845 |
| Sideburns |
$159 |
$795 |
| Full face |
$329 |
$1645 |
| Underarms |
$169 |
$845 |
| Forearms |
$249 |
$1245 |
| Full arms |
$389 |
$1945 |
| Bikini line |
$239 |
$1195 |
| Bikini Plus (line plus some shaping of pubis) |
$289 |
$1445 |
| Full bikini (Brazilian) |
$399 |
$1995 |
| Thighs |
$429 |
$2145 |
| Lower legs |
$399 |
$1995 |
| Full legs |
$659 |
$3295 |
| |
|
|
| Men |
|
|
| Area |
per session |
package of 6 |
| Beard area |
$349 |
$1745 |
| Front of neck |
$169 |
$845 |
| Back of neck |
$169 |
$845 |
| Full neck |
$269 |
$1345 |
| Chest (collarbone to bottom of ribs) |
$429 |
$2145 |
| Abdomen |
$349 |
$1745 |
| Chest and abdomen |
$629 |
$3145 |
| Upper back (area of ribcage) |
$499 |
$2495 |
| Lower back (bottom of ribs to pelvis) |
$279 |
$1395 |
| Full back |
$619 |
$3095 |
| Forearms |
$279 |
$1395 |
| Upper arms |
$279 |
$1395 |
| Full arms |
$439 |
$2195 |
| Ears |
$119 |
$595 |
| Nose |
$119 |
$ 595 |
Photos
Before and after three sessions of laser hair removal. He only wanted his hair to be considerably thinner. Three more sessions, and he would be bare.
