Laser Hair Removal

ILK's laser hair removal programme targets melanin in hair follicles through selective photothermolysis, delivering pulses of laser energy that heat and disable follicles in the active growth (anagen) phase without damaging surrounding skin. Monika Husáková, with over 20 years of laser hair removal experience, leads the programme. Prices are set per body area and reflect the substantial size differences across zones — from small areas like the upper lip to large areas like the full legs. Sessions are scheduled at intervals calibrated to each area's hair cycle, ensuring follicles are caught in the anagen phase when they are most responsive. Hair must be shaved — not plucked or waxed — before treatment to allow the laser to target the follicle root directly.

Laser hair removal at ILK works on the principle of selective photothermolysis: the laser emits a wavelength absorbed preferentially by melanin, the pigment in hair follicles, while transmitting through the surrounding dermis and epidermis. When the follicle absorbs the energy, it reaches a temperature sufficient to cause irreversible thermal damage to the germinal cells responsible for hair regrowth, without burning the surrounding tissue. Because the laser only disables follicles in their active anagen growth phase — the only phase when the follicle is physically connected to the papilla — multiple sessions are required to capture follicles cycling through this phase at different times. The interval between sessions is calibrated to the area: the upper lip has a faster hair cycle and is retreated approximately every 6 weeks, while slower-cycling areas like the underarms and groin require ~3-month intervals, and the legs need ~6-month intervals to align with their longer cycle. Monika Husáková, the clinic's laser specialist with more than two decades in the field, assesses each patient's skin type, hair colour, and hair coarseness before treatment to set appropriate parameters. Patients must shave the area one to two days before treatment — plucking or waxing is prohibited for at least one month prior because it removes the follicle target. Tanned or recently sun-exposed skin increases the risk of surface burns due to excess epidermal melanin absorbing the laser; active tanning should be stopped at least four weeks before treatment begins. The areas treatable at ILK span from the smallest facial zones (upper lip, unibrow, chin, sideburns) to the largest body surfaces (full legs, back, chest, abdomen). Results are permanent in the treated follicles, though new follicles can be activated over time by hormonal changes. Redness and minor follicular swelling are normal for a few hours post-session and resolve without intervention.