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New Laser Hair Removal System Offered At U.Va.

The University of Virginia Health System is one of the first hospitals in the country to offer a new laser for hair removal that is faster, safer, less painful and more permanent than traditional methods.

The new laser produces a colored beam of highly concentrated light that vaporizes the pigment in hair follicles and disables several follicles at a time. A special hand piece cools the surrounding skin while the laser energy is absorbed, resulting in virtually painless hair removal.

This is a tremendous advance in the field of hair removal, said Dr. Raymond Morgan, professor and chairman of the Department of Plastic and Maxillofacial Surgery at U.Va. With the new laser, we can deliver energy closer to the root of the hair, allowing us to eliminate 90 percent of hair follicles currently growing — a much better result than with any other method. And with the cooling handpiece, no anesthesia is required, which makes the procedure easier for patients.

Morgan said that traditional lasers weigh up to 800 pounds and require specially placed mirrors to deliver the light beam in a straight line. The new laser system weighs less than 100 pounds and delivers the light through a fiberoptic cable, which is easier to use.

U.Va. is currently one of only 12 hospitals in the country to offer hair removal with the new Coherent Light SheerTM laser system. In addition to its aesthetic applications, Morgan is hopeful that the new laser can be used to treat other skin conditions that are difficult to manage because of hair growth in the area.

July 9, 1998