Contact & consultation

Arranging an assessment

Outpatient appointments are booked through the hospital on the numbers below; international patients can ask for Michael Yu. Bring anything you know about previous light treatment, including how the skin behaved afterwards, and say if you have used a sunbed or had recent sun exposure in the area, because that changes what can be done at the appointment.

What a good assessment includes

An examination of the hair and the skin in the area: the colour and coarseness of the hair, the skin type, whether the skin tans or burns, and how it responded to any previous treatment. The assessment should also cover the medicines you take, because some make the skin sensitive to light, and any skin condition in the area, because some are made worse by treatment.

Asking about the plan

Ask which instrument is being proposed and why the other was not, how many sessions the course is expected to take, and how the sessions will be spaced. Ask what the skin is expected to do after a session and what would be treated rather than left. Ask what maintenance is likely to involve afterwards. Ask what happens if the hair does not respond as expected, and what the plan is then.

Before you commit

No decision needs to be made at the first appointment, and it is reasonable to treat a small area first and judge how the skin behaves before committing to a course. Take the plan away, read it against the guides on this site, and come back with questions. Being told that neither instrument is suitable for your hair is a finding rather than a refusal.