You’ll get less satisfaction out of your laser hair treatments if you shave, pluck, tweeze, wax or sunburn prior to your laser removal appointment. Even using sunless tanning products will compromise the results, according to Jeffrey Raval, MD, FACS, owner and medical director of Rocky Mountain Laser Aesthetics in Cherry Creek North, Denver’s premiere shopping district.

The better you prepare for treatment, the more likely the treatment is to be successful. Studies show that laser hair removal treatments reduce hair growth from 20 – 90%, depending upon the individual. If you take these precautions, chances are you’ll increase your success rate, says Dr. Raval.

Do not tan, not even sunless tanning, 4 – 6 weeks prior to treatment. A tan increases side effects of blistering and skin discoloration. If you do tan, you’ll have to wait weeks to let the tan fade completely before undergoing laser hair removal.

Avoid waxing or plucking hairs including electrolysis prior to treatment too. Laser hair removal is most effective if hairs are visible but shaved short. You can shave the day of the procedure.

During the procedure, patients wear goggles to prevent accidental exposure of the eyes to laser light. Sometimes the physician or laser tech will apply a topical local anesthetic to the treatment area to reduce any discomfort, although many patients claim there’s nothing uncomfortable about the treatment other than the smell of singed hair which is normal.

Treatment can take minutes to several hours depending upon the area of the body being treated. It’s normal for the cost of the laser hair removal treatment to be based upon the length of time it takes to perform the service, so hair removal from the lip will be less expensive than hair removal across an entire back.

Call Rocky Mountain Laser Aesthetics today for an appointment. 303-985-8520.

Scars are not only skin deep. How we look affects how we feel about ourselves and appearance-changing scars can be difficult to cope with. They can cause people to become deeply self-conscious and possibly to hide behind weight gain. There are laser treatments that can help. These treatments are intended to reduce severe scars caused by acne, but they can also smooth all types of scars all over the body. Many times, adults are still suffering with scars from a childhood accident and there is no reason to live with it any longer, according to Dr. Jeffrey Raval, owner of Raval Facial Aesthetics and Rocky Mountain Laser Aesthetics.

Take for example the Today Show spotlight on three sisters, triplets, and the benefits of laser scar reduction. This treatment has changed the lives of three girls who have suffered scaring for nearly their whole lives. Chandra, Trae and Jordan Berns were victims of a fire that took their mother’s life when they were only 17 months old. The three girls suffered burns on a significant portion of their skin, including the face. Just recently, at age 22, state-of-the-art lasers were able to be used to significantly reduce their scars. As seen on the Today Show, the results are phenomenal and life-changing. The women can now overcome the disfiguring scars that once marred their beautiful baby skin.

Dr. Raval, a father of a newborn himself, says, “There is nothing like the miracle of baby skin. It’s fascinating to observe a child’s skin because it is so fresh, perfect and delicate.” Dr. Raval said it was a good decision for the three brave burn victims to opt to receive the treatment as young adults. “As we age, the skin over the scars can become thicker, darker and tougher. Now they are able to enjoy their youthful beauty. Medical science can be life changing,” adds Dr. Raval, MD, FACS.

Trae and Jordan are continuing their education, earning masters degrees in occupational therapy and Chandra hopes to one day begin a foundation for burn victims. The heroic triplets share their story to show that it is possible to triumph over tragedy. Things haven’t been easy for Trae, Jordan and Chandra, but they are on the road to recovery and so are their scars.

Dr. Raval is an expert in laser treatments. He consults with patients to design the best treatment plan based on severity of the scar and desired results so you a cost and timeline of when your skin will be saved can be accurately recommended.

There are variations of pro-fractional laser treatments and it is important to find the specific procedure that best fits your needs. The Blue-U Light and the Levulan PDT Therapy treat acne scars, the Sciton laser is more geared toward laser peels and preventative treatments and the Cynosure laser is for hair reduction and collagen rebuilding. Dr. Raval also uses the Visia® Complexion Analyser, a high-tech mirror imaging gadget that records the skin and its varied conditions, to generate what the skin will likely look like over time. Visit RockyMountainLaser.com for information or to schedule a consultation call 303-381-3223.

Q. What is ProFractional?

A. ProFractional is a quick and comfortable laser procedure with little to no downtime, used for improving the overall appearance of your skin.  ProFractional uses a laser microbeam to treat thousands of pinpoint areas of your skin.  And because only a fraction of the skin is directly treated with the laser, healing time is quick and downtime is short.
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