Did you know that your skin is your largest organ? You work hard to take care of the inside--with diet & nutrition; and your fitness with regular exercise. Why not pay attention and let the same health & fitness show through to include your skin. Whether it is damage caused by the sun, the environment, or the natural aging process--let us help your skin reflect the hard work you put into your health & fitness.

We now use the new DermaMed Ultra Intense Pulse Light machine. This versatile machine provides safe, painless, and effective treatments for many of your skincare needs.

• Laser Hair Removal
• Electrolysis Hair Removal
• Spider Vein Removal
• Microdermabrasion

Laser Hair Removal

How does laser hair removal work?

Laser hair removal is the use of laser energy to produce long-term hair reduction. This is accomplished by producing heat in the hair, which is transferred to the hair follicle, which in turn produces inflammation, and this inflammation sends a signal to the hair follicle to go into the resting (telogen) phase.

What is a laser, really?

First of all, what is a laser? A laser is a device that produces light of a single color or wavelength. In dermatology, these lasers produce pulses of high-energy light that is taken up by the desired target. In the case of hair removal, the target is the melanin pigment contained within the hair shaft.

A delicate balance

The tricky part of laser hair removal is targeting the hair shaft without damaging the melanin pigment in the surface of the skin. Thus the laser light has to be on long enough to heat the hair, but not too long to allow that heat to spread to the surrounding skin causing damage. In addition, the darker a patient’s skin, the more difficult it is to avoid injuring the surface of the skin while treating the hair. For this reason, there are three main types of hair removal lasers that are used today, and depending on the thickness of the hair and the color of the skin, one laser may provide benefits as compared to another.

When Performing Laser Hair Removal, Experience Matters

In addition to lasers, intense pulsed light sources are also used for hair removal. These light sources do not emit a single color or wavelength of light, but emit light containing many colors. It may be more difficult to predict the outcome and avoid complications when using light sources that contain many wavelengths of light. However, the results with any device depend upon the experience of the practitioner.

How many treatments?

Normally, a series of three to five treatments are administered at four to eight week intervals depending upon the location of the hair. Following the initial series of treatments, subsequent treatments are administered, usually at longer and longer intervals. Some number of maintenance of treatments may be needed to keep all the hair away in a given area. After a single treatment, the hair in a given area is usually reduced in amount and thickness for a very long period of time. However, it may not be completely gone. To keep an area completely devoid of hair, maintenance treatments are always required. These maintenance treatments may eventually be required at only yearly intervals or even longer. This depends on the area being treated as well as the individual. As with any other traits in an individual, the frequency of maintenance treatments varies considerably from person to person.

What are some pre-treatment instructions?

While the process in itself is considered to be very safe, individuals opting for laser hair removal should preferably follow the following pre-treatment tips:

• Laser treatment should be avoided when you have a suntan or sunburn

• Though not necessary, shaving before the treatment quickens treatment time. Shaving should be done to a degree where only a shadow or stubble remains visible

• Bleaching or plucking should be stopped for a couple of weeks before the treatment
• If you are likely to suffer from cold sores or have genital herpes, start taking appropriate medicines before the treatment

You should contact your doctor and schedule a
consultation for a detailed instruction list.

What are the post-treatment instructions?

It is common to experience redness or bumps after the treatment. A cold compress often helps in this scenario. Apart from this, general precautions to take after laser hair removal treatment include:

• Minimal use of makeup and maximum use of moisturizer

• Use sun block of SPF 25 or more for a couple of weeks after the treatment.

• If needed, the only other acceptable hair removal method during the treatment regimen is shaving.

• Be aware that hair will continue to shed up to three weeks after the treatment. Help the hairs out by using a loofah or washcloth.

Make sure to ask your doctor for detailed
post-treatment instructions.

How does skin color affect the results?

Light skin makes laser hair removal easier to perform. Fewer treatments are required, and better, faster results are obtained. People with darker skin can be treated, but results are slower, more sessions are required, and greater expertise is required on the part of the laser center. Laser hair removal must be individualized for each patient.

Does it hurt?

First Session Hurts the Most

Because the laser energy is absorbed in the hair follicle producing heat, there is some sensation when performing laser hair removal. Certain areas of the body hurt more than others during laser hair removal. In addition, patients with very thick, dark hair may experience more discomfort than those with thin hair. This is because the thicker, darker hair will absorb more of the laser light during any given treatment. Generally, the hair becomes thinner and less dense after each subsequent treatment. Therefore, the most discomfort is usually experienced during the first treatment.

Pain Varies Between Individuals

The discomfort associated with laser hair removal varies considerably between individuals, and is a function of the patient's skin type, the laser being used, the thickness and density of the hair, the area of the body where the hair is being treated, and ones ability to tolerate or feel pain. In some situations, numbing creams can be used. However, numbing creams partially eliminate the ability of the patient to report on the discomfort associated with a treatment, which may be an indication of how this treatment compares with previous treatments.

Discomfort Rarely Limits Treatment

Discomfort is one of the many factors the person administering the laser treatment will use to determine the appropriate setting for the laser. Patients should be discouraged from applying numbing cream themselves to large areas of the body prior to laser treatment. Although prescription numbing creams are generally safe, putting them on large areas of the body can result in the numbing medications being absorbed into the bloodstream in significant amounts. I prefer to have my staff apply numbing creams while the patient is in my office when they are needed, so that I can control the amount of cream applied and the surface area over which it is applied. In general, discomfort rarely limits the ability to perform laser treatment. However, in a small number of patients it does limit ones ability to receive laser hair removal treatments.

Electrolysis

Electrolysis in Washington DC and Northern Virginia.

At BodyByGeoff MedSpa we believe the combination of laser hair removal + electrolysis = permanent hair removal. This process is lasertrolysis and we do it better then anyone in the area.

• Electrolysis is affordable, safe, and FDA-approved.
• Electrolysis has been around over 150 years and is a proven permanent method of hair removal. Electrolysis is the process that destroys the hair root (derma papilla).
• Many models, movie stars, and professionals owe their hair-free skin to the skill of a trained professional electrologist.
• Most clients say, "If I had known how easy it was, I would have done electrolysis earlier!"

Why tweezing, waxing, and shaving make problems worse

If you have been tweezing, it takes the electrologist approximately six weeks to see all the hair you own. For example when you tweeze a hair on your chin, it takes four to six weeks for that one hair to grow back. Those that have tweezed for a long time will extend the treatment time needed to permanently remove the hair.
However, if you are a shaver, most of the hair will be showing at the first treatment. The period of time needed to remove shaved hair permanently is less than tweezed hair, unless hormonal factors are involved.
Virgin hair (not waxed, tweezed or threaded) can often be gotten on the first treatment.

How electrolysis should be performed

Electrolysis should be performed by a professional who uses a sterile disposable probe and techniques approved by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

How it works

During the electrolysis procedure, a fine filament probe is inserted into the hair follicle. The follicle is a small opening or pocket in the skin from which the hair grows. A small amount of current is then administered which destroys the germinating cells or papilla that causes the hair to grow. This discourages regrowth and the hair is then easily removed with tweezers.

Since hair grows in cycles of four to six weeks, not all hair is visible at any given time. It is therefore necessary to have regular treatments. This will clear hair that has not been treated as well as any regrowth that may occur. Hair that regrows is usually finer in texture and lighter than the original hair indicating a smaller follicle that when subsequently treated may become miniaturized to the point that hair will not grow.

The methods of electrolysis

There are three methods of electrolysis: blend, galvanic, and thermolysis. At BodyByGeoff MedSpa, we determine which method best suits the hair type and the skin type of each client

What to expect during an electrolysis treatment

Electrolysis produces a warm, tingling sensation. The amount of discomfort varies with the individual and the area being treated. Over-the-counter pain medications may be taken one hour prior to treatment or a topical anesthetic (available at BodyByGeoff MedSpa) may be used if the individual so desires. Most people do not find this necessary.

Electrolysis treatments usually last from fifteen minutes to an hour and are done on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. The process requires a series of treatments to achieve permanency. The number of treatments varies with the individual.

Good Electrolysis

• Good electrolysis is: comfortable.
• Good electrolysis is: never feeling the insertion of the probe.
• Good electrolysis is: never feeling the removal of the hair. In other words, never feeling a plucking or pulling sensation when hair is removed.

Skin care prior to treatment

The hair needs to be just above the skin line before a treatment. Do not cut, shave, bleach or use a depilatory for twenty-four hours prior to your treatment. Tweezing and waxing should not be done during treatments since they are counterproductive.

Skin care after treatment

The treated area should be washed with a mild, oil-free cleanser and an oil-free moisture cream should be applied twice a day for the first two days. Make-up may be used sparingly after your treatment. Your normal make-up routine may be resumed after forty-eight hours.
The treatment area is sensitive to the sun for the first two days after a treatment. Exposure to the sun or the use of tanning booths should be avoided. If this is not possible, a sunscreen with a sun protection factor of fifteen or greater should be used on the treatment area.

Electrolysis at BodyByGeoff MedSpa

• BodyByGoeff MedSpa performs good Electrolysis!
• Comfortable computerized equipment and has topical anesthetic available!
• We receive doctor referrals!
• We specialize in lip, chin, breast, eyebrows, AND body work!
• We offer services to men AND women!

Microdermabrasion

Microdermabrasion is a skin-freshening technique that helps repair facial skin that takes a beating from the sun and the effects of aging. BodyByGeoff MedSpa uses the newest and latest diamond-tip microderm machine--taking away the need for the messy, gritty crystals. The diamond-tip is precise, and with the double wash that our RN does before your treatment and the Rx and Dermiolgica products we apply--your skin will come out looking fresh, dewy and alive! As with other skin rejuvenation techniques, more than one treatment may be needed to reduce or remove fine wrinkles and unwanted pigmentation.