At Lasermed we’ll give you a smoother look with our gold-standard Alexandrite and ND:Yag hair removal lasers. By destroying the root of the hair, laser also is ideal for irritating ingrown hairs anywhere on the body. And it’s the perfect foil for hirsutism.

Hair removal treatments are safe and effective on any skin type. Depending on the body area, a course of treatments with four- to eight-week intervals is required. After each treatment, you’ll notice a drastic reduction in hair growth. For darker skins the ND:YAG Laser would be more suitable as hypopigmentation and hyperpigmentation risks will be reduced.

Hirsutism is a condition in women that results in excessive growth of dark or coarse hair in a male-like pattern — face, chest and back.

With hirsutism, extra hair growth often arises from excess male hormones (androgens), primarily testosterone.

Several factors can influence your likelihood of developing hirsutism, including:
• Family history.
• Conditions such as congenital adrenal hyperplasia and polycystic ovary syndrome.
• Ancestry: women of Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and South Asian ancestry are more likely to have more body hair with no identifiable cause.
• Obesity: this may cause increased androgen production, which can worsen hirsutism.
• Hirsutism can be emotionally distressing. Some women develop depression. Also, although hirsutism doesn’t cause physical complications, the underlying cause of a hormonal imbalance can.

Avoid tanning for four weeks prior to laser hair removal therapy. Stop using sun activators and/or chemical self-tanning lotions two weeks before therapy. Don’t use skin lightening preparations such as Hydroquinone and Retinoic acid for five days prior to treatment. Isotretinoin: wait one month after completing a full dose. If taking a pulse dose, treatments may be done at any stage. And importantly, wait six weeks after waxing, plucking or electrolysis before starting laser hair removal treatment. You may shave, use depilatory creams or curved scissors.

For more information, book a free consultation and patch test with one of our experienced laser operators.

With winter upon us, Rosacea sufferers will be dreading the extreme temperature changes. The good news is that IPL treatments are very effective in treating this condition. And what’s more, Lasermed is offering discounts on IPL treatments during June and July. To treat the face only, a saving of R300 applies.

Rosacea is no joke. It usually causes a persistent redness in the central part of the face. And small blood vessels on the nose and cheeks often swell and become visible. Although the cause of rosacea isn’t known, it could be due to a combination of hereditary and environmental factors.

A number of factors can trigger flare-ups, including: hot drinks and spicy foods; red wine and other alcoholic beverages; temperature extremes; sunlight or wind; emotions; exercise; drugs that dilate blood vessels, including some blood pressure medications; and various cosmetic products.

Book now for a free consultation and patch test.

Pigmented lesions usually are no cause for concern. These skin spots and growths are caused by melanocyte cells in the skin. The latter are the cells that produce melanin, the substance that gives colour (pigment) to the skin.

Nearly all adults have at least a few pigmented lesions. Some people are born with these, while others develop them over time from sun exposure, the natural ageing process or changing hormones. Sometimes people develop pigmented lesions when they take medications such as birth control pills or hormone supplements, especially when those medications combine with sun exposure.

Common pigmented lesions include: age spots, birthmarks, freckles and moles. However, some pigmented lesions can develop into different forms of skin cancer. That’s why it’s important for you and your dermatologist to monitor them closely. You might need an examination by a dermatologist for pigmented lesions that change colour, shape, or size.

The colour of pigmented skin lesions is because of melanin, blood or exogenous pigment, such as tattoos.

Monitor and manage your age spots, birthmarks, freckles, and moles to avoid a serious skin condition. Some of the changes to watch for include: colour, diameter, size and new pigmented lesions.

The most common pigmented lesion is a lentigo, which is a concentration of melanocytes in the basal layer of cells. The borders are fuzzy, but it’s not a raised lesion.

At Lasermed, we treat pigmented lesions successfully with Intense Pulsed Light (IPL). During June and July we’re offering a special promotion, so don’t miss out: Face: R2 200 (save R300); Face & neck R2 900 (save R700); Face, neck & chest: R3 400 (save R900); Face, neck, chest & hands R4 200 (save R1 600).