Pseudofolliculitis barbae or razor bumps, is a common skin condition that affects the bearded area of the face. It causes redness, pain, itching and sometimes scarring in the affected hair follicles. At least 50 percent of black men and 3 percent of white men who shave are prone to this condition.1 Any area that is shaved can be affected, but it most commonly occurs in the face and neck. A good history often elicits very close shaving, shaving against the lay of the hair and using a double-edged razor. This leads to red, painful and pustular follicular inflammation.Pseudofolliculitis barbae occurs when the sharply cut hair curls back and reenters the skin. The reentered hair is treated as foreign material within the skin and elicits a foreign body reaction. More tightly curling hair, such as in African Americans, is prone to doing this when shaved. When shaved, these hairs are sharper and prone to pierce the skin. The hairs may penetrate to a depth of 2-3 millimeters. The process resolved when the head of the pustule drains and the hair pulls out again. Over time, the skin can become hyper-pigmented and, in people prone to keloid or hypertrophic scarring, can lead to disfiguring scarring in a cosmetically sensitive area.

There is no complete cure for this disorder of ingrown hairs. Conservative measures include improving shaving techniques, such as not shaving as often or as closely, shaving with the lay of the hair, and using electric clippers. When such measures fail, a good solution may be laser hair removal. Laser hair removal works by damaging the hair follicle so that it grows ever smaller, finer hairs that are barely visible or none at all. One may not need to shave again. It also reduces the risk of pseudofolliculitis barbae or razor bumps by reducing the number and thickness of the beard hairs. Contact Tattoo MD Medispa for a free consultation!

These days, the field of laser hair removal is highly developed. There are a multitude of lasers that can be used for the reduction of unwanted body hair, but there is conflicting information on which laser is best for a particular individual. For instance, a person with light skin and dark coarse hair has the most options, while an African American has the fewest due to the safety restrictions based on hair color and skin type.

The four most common laser technologies that are in use for laser hair removal are Alexandrite, Diode, IPL, and long-pulse-YAG. At Tattoo MD Laser Clinic, purchasing the right laser for hair removal required doing proper research into the available technologies. Scientific articles comparing the different types of lasers were reviewed. What follows is a summary of scientific research that was used to help make the decision.

A study from 2001 by Handrick, et al in Dermatologic Surgery showed that Alexandrite and Diode lasers were essentially equivalent in skin types I-IV. Another study by Tabatabai et al in 2004 from the same journal compared diode, YAG, and Alexandrite and found that both Diode laser and Alexandrite were equivalent and that both were more effective than YAG. A Chinese study by Chan, et al in 2001 compared YAG and diode laser and found the two to be equivalent in efficacy but the YAG was associated with more treatment pain.� Finally, a study by Toosi, et al in 2006 compared IPL, Alexandrite and Diode and found that Diode was the most effective.

In summary, lasers used for hair removal show a similar effectiveness profile, with the diode being at least as good as any of the others.� A main difference between the diode and the Alexandrite is that the latter is more restricted in the darker skin types such as dark Hispanics and African-Americans.� A YAG can be used in any skin type but there is a trade-off for lower effectiveness in the lighter skin types.� The Diode laser, such as the Comet by Syneron, in use at Tattoo MD Laser Clinic, is the most effective for the greatest range of skin types.

TMD Medi-Spa is located in: West Los AngelesServices provided : laser tattoo removal, laser hair removal, Radiesse, BOTOX, Juvederm injection, laser hair restoration.

West LA serves the following communities:

Santa Monica, Venice, Brentwood, Westwood, West LA, Century City, Marina del Rey, El Segundo, Sherman Oaks, Tarzana, Agoura Hills, Alhambra, Baldwin Park, Baldwin Hills, Bell, Bell Gardens, Bellflwer, Burbank, Calabasas, Carson, Commerce, Culver City, Glendale, Glendora, Huntington Park, Van Nuys, Sylmar, Valencia, Beverly Hills, West Los Angeles, Los Angeles, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, Torrance, Inglewood, Hawthorne, Compton, City of Industry, La Mirada, Lomita, Lawndale, Lynwood, Southgate, Long Beach, Palos Verdes, Pacific Palisades, Monterrey Park, San Gabriel, Montebello, Cerritos, Downey, Paramount, Norwalk, Pico Rivera, Artesia, West Covina, Gardena, Malibu, Century City, Bel Air, West Hills, Monrovia, Whittier, West Hollywood, Pasadena, Whittier, and Downey, Corona, Yorba Linda, Fullerton, Anaheim, Rancho Cucamonga, Chino, Chino Hills, Montclair, Hesperia, Highland, Placentia, Azusa, Colton, Pomona, Diamond Bar, Hacienda Heights, Fontana, Upland, Redlands, San Bernadino, Riverside, Palm Springs, Temecula, Loma Linda, Victorville, Moreno Valley, Yucca Valley, Cathedral City, Calimesa, Beaumont, Hemet, Indian Wells, Indio, LaQuinta, Lake Elsinore, Ontario, Moreno Valley, Murrieta, Perris, Rancho Mirage, Barstow, Glen Ivey, Aliso Viejo, Brea, Buena Park, costa Mesa, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Irvine, La Habra, La Palma, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Lake Forest, Los Alamitos, Mission Viejo, Newport Beach, Orange, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Ana, Seal Beach, Stanton, Tustin, Villa Park, Westmnster, and most of Orange County, Riverside County, and San Bernadino County.

People have traveled from as far away as San Francisco and Arizona to get tattoo removal with us!