Shining light on unwanted hair
I found The Laser Clinic Morpeth Ltd when I looked into alternatives to shaving off the dark facial hair I felt I had been cursed with. Facial hair on women is a lot more common than most people realise. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) affects 10% of women and one common symptom is growing dark facial hair which starts during puberty. Growing facial hair can lead to loss of confidence and low self esteem.
Laser hair removal, where laser light travels down the hair and burns out the follicle, was once offered to PCOS sufferers by the NHS. The treatment is still recommended but no longer funded by them.
There are very few clinics offering treatment in my area, Tyneside. I didn’t fancy Newcastle, the city isn’t car friendly. From my research I learned one side effect is redness where the Laser light had burned down to the follicle. It’s a temporary effect but I didn’t fancy walking the streets or standing at a bus stop with a red face. The clinic I chose was near Morpeth north of Newcastle. The web site said there was plenty of car parking space yards from reception. The cost of treatment seemed reasonable and I was willing to pay. I hate shaving.
My Sat Nav took me to the Laser clinic without any fuss. It is just a few miles from the A1. As I pulled into the car park I saw Susan the clinics owner, coming down the short path from the reception room to greet me. We had already messaged via Email and she had explained that a patch test would have to be done before the start of treatment. Like all cosmetic procedures there are some risks and side effects and Susan explained them to me. The risks are low and side effects temporary but everyone is different hence the need for a patch test. Susan helped me fill in forms which collected relevant medical information, and she explained what is meant by ‘informed consent’.
Susan is very friendly and personable, I felt immediately at ease. Susan has clients from as far as Bishop Auckland in the south and Jedburgh to the North. She can keep her prices down because she has low overheads and business rates are not as high as those in the city.
Susan has many clients who come to her because of unwanted hair growth due to PCOS. ‘‘I enjoy my work as a Laser Technician and get a great sense of satisfaction knowing I am helping people with their skin problems which in turn boosts clients self confidence and self esteem.’’ Susan can treat a wide range of skin complaints including thread-vein, rosacea, scar and pigmentation removal and acne scarring. Laser hair removal treatment does take multiple sessions to work effectively. Hair grows in phases. Facial hair grows then is dormant over a 4 to 8 week period and needs to be in the growing phase for the treatment to work.
I asked Susan about the beginnings of her Laser Clinic business. She told me about the stress of trying to juggle family life and a nine to five job in a Science Laboratory in nearby Morpeth. ‘‘I just felt I was not in control of my life’’ she explained. ‘‘Neil my husband was a Fire Fighter working shifts that couldn’t fit around our family life. I felt I was letting our young daughter Holly down. Organising childcare was a nightmare and having to beg for time off to see Holly on sports days and what have you was very stressful.’’
One day a work colleague told her they were having a tattoo removed, another had already told her she was having Laser Hair removal. Susan was curious and did some research. ‘‘I was looking for a way to take back control of my life. Escaping the nine to five seemed the only way so I needed to be my own boss.’’
Susan learned all she could about Laser Treatment. She contacted manufacturers and studied with Manchester University gaining the qualifications and skill necessary to operate Laser equipment effectively and safely.
‘‘Lynton, the company I bought my Laser machines from are brilliant’’ Susan told me. ‘‘I still work closely with them. I can ask for advice from one of their medical doctors if there’s something I’m not certain about and they take care of the regular servicing and calibration of my machines. I’m just so happy now I have control over my own life and It’s such a joy knowing I am able to use my Laser Technician skills to help my clients with their skin problems’’
All of Susan’s machines are NHS approved and Susan is a fully trained and qualified technician but she has had clients who have had treatment elsewhere who didn’t get the results they wanted. She told of one man who came to her for help with thread-veins. ‘‘He came to me with a low expectation of what could be done for him. His first words as he came through the door were ‘Right, I know there’s nothing you can do but I’m here so lets get on with it.’ The poor man was desperate. He couldn’t believe the result after I treated him and was over the moon. The problem is there are cheap machines on the market and they are not NHS approved so can’t be expected to produce the same level of success that more expensive machines can attain.’’
‘‘A lot of my business comes from word of mouth but when people have laser treatment from another place and don’t get the result they expect, they tell their friends and their friends think laser treatment doesn’t work. It’s such a shame because laser treatment does work and it does help people.’’
There is some discomfort during treatment I have found. Many people describe it as like being twanged with an elastic band and multiple treatment sessions will be required. I don’t mind a little discomfort. I am so glad I found Susan and her Lasers.
The Laser Clinic can be found online at www.thelaserclinic.org.uk
or Email susan@thelaserclinic.org.uk for more information.
By Pollyanne
