Hairy Situation: A Laser Technician for Observant Women

‘Feel my leg,” said Shulamis Soffer, 27, offering up a silky, hair-free gam for inspection. The Orthodox Brooklyn native’s legs are just-got-a-wax smooth, and, thanks to the magic of lasers, they always will be. A licensed laser hair removal specialist, Soffer wants to help as many people as possible experience the same sort of razor-free freedom she now enjoys.

“I used to be really, really hairy,” Soffer said matter-of-factly, noting that Jewish women are particularly prone to hairiness. She would shave and wax constantly, but the hair always grew back, darker than ever. It wasn’t until her later teenage years that she was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome, a condition that can lead to increased hair growth (or hirsutism) in certain women. Her affliction led to the realization that she didn’t have to live her life under a layer of fur — and neither did anyone else.

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Hi-Tech Beauty-Buster Fixers

Whether your problem is thinning hair or acne, there are a few hot, new products on that claim to take away everything from wrinkles to too much hair. The products use some of the same technologies that a dermatologist may have used on you -- lasers, LED lights, and infrared light -- and you can use them all in your own home.

But do they work?

"These products provide at-home versions of procedures typically performed in a doctor's office: light treatments, laser hair removal, or chemical peels," says Linda Wells, editor in chief of Allure magazine.

"In terms of at-home treatments, this is just the beginning."

Wells and some Allure staffers visited The Early Show Wednesday and reported on the effectiveness of products the staffers tried for several weeks.


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Laser Hair Removal Facts for Consumers

(PRWEB) September 3, 2005 -- Doctors and practitioners are salespeople, too.

They are trying to sell you something that will cost you a lot of money. They have to make payments on a laser costing tens of thousands of dollars. That's a lot of sales they have to make.

Doctors are not perfect.

Doctors can also be fooled by marketing hype-- they are bombarded with advertisements for lasers. Laser sales reps take them to lunch or to a sports event and chat about how great their system is, and how much money they could make. Doctors hear rumors and believe them, too. I know of several good, trustworthy physicians who bought SoftLight machines when they came out, believing they were permanent. Physicians can also be too busy/lazy to read more than an abstract of a clinical study. I am constantly amazed at how trusting some people are of physicians, taking their word as gospel.

Some laser technicians are unqualified and could damage your skin.

It's safest to go to a physician, preferably a dermatologist or plastic surgeon. Your procedure is likely to be safer and more effective when done under medical supervision. Unqualified practitioners have been known to cause serious skin damage on unsuspecting clients.

Can you afford it if you have no long-term results?


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Retail therapy at the mall now includes cosmetic surgery

Andrew Rudnick snickered when he first saw a medical spa offering Botox and laser hair-removal services on a visit to a Las Vegas mall in 2002. He laughed at the thought of someone - anyone - shopping for the latest fashions, grabbing a bite to eat and then, oh yeah, strolling in for a quick shot of Botox to zap out a nasty wrinkle.

"I couldn't understand why anybody in a mall would walk in and have their legs lasered, never mind Botox," he recalled. He parked himself on a bench near the spa and watched in amazement as shoppers strolled in. He owned a weight-loss and laser center in Boston at the time, and the sight was a revelation. "I counted the traffic in and out and saw the revenue."

Returning to Boston, he scouted retail locations. He dropped the weight-loss part of his business to focus on skin care and laser treatments, renamed the company and opened his first Sleek MedSpa that same year.


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TRIA Laser Hair Removal Device Cleared By FDA

SpectraGenics announced clearance from FDA for their patented hand-held laser hair removal device designed for at-home use. The TRIA is the first hair removal laser to enter the U.S. home-based device market, an industry projected to grow exponentially over the next three years."The FDA clearance is the culmination of many years of research, clinical testing and innovative product design efforts," said Robert Grove, PhD, CEO, SpectraGenics. "Our engineers are the same scientists who developed the first and gold-standard professional diode laser hair removal system over 10 years ago which is still used by physicians nationwide. We've invested significant resources to harness that same light-based technology to deliver a safe, effective way for consumers to treat unwanted hair in the privacy of their homes."The TRIA device is the first at-home device to feature a diode laser specially designed to be safe and effective for at-home use.


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