Let the Skin Proceed When the Hair Recedes

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Below, Dr. Larry T. Lovelace of Oklahoma City shares his experience using laser treatment to shave his dome.

Hello, my name is Larry Lovelace. I live in Oklahoma City where I am an emergency physician at the OU trauma center. I also work ringside medicine at various boxing matches across the country. I have been shaving my head for about three years now, due to male pattern baldness. I hated the look of a bald head with a seatbelt of hair around it. Here is my pre-shave look (pictured with Sugar Ray Leonard). Eventually, I decided to go all the way and shave all of my hair off while on a cruise. I was amazed by how many people looked at me differently! My patients are just a little bit scared, and my co- workers seem to act differently also. Here I've included pictures of my shaved head with Evander Holyfield and with Dennis Rodman.

When I let the hair grow out, it looked and felt funny. I loved the look of a fresh shaved head, but grew tired of shaving every day and/or every other day. I decided to invest in laser hair removal. I learned that hair grows in 3 different phases, and that I would need at least 4 treatments to get all of the hair. Treatments would be spaced out every 3 weeks to insure all of the hair in the active phase would be destroyed (only hair in the active phase is killed). The treatments were somewhat painful, but were eased with EMLA cream (an anesthetic) that helped a lot. When the cream is applied you need to cover it with a shower cap for 1 hour. This allows it to seep in and not evaporate.

The laser itself has a small head that is about the size of a stick of Dentyne gum. I required 176 “shots” to cover my head. In the picture, her thumb is on the actual aperture.

You need to wear goggles throughout the procedure and it helps if someone can drive you to the session. This permits you to take a painkiller and a valium beforehand.

Round One

The first few treatments were very disappointing. All that I could see was money leaving my wallet, and hair not leaving my head. Now after 4 treatments, I grow very little hair and what I do grow is fine like baby hair. The laser doesn’t work on gray hair and I have my fair share of that (I'm 50 years old). I intend to do at least one more treatment to complete the process. The doctor and the literature say that 1 treatment per year may be needed as maintenance. My cost was reduced because I am a physician and got a professional discount. You can expect to pay between 250 – 500 dollars per treatment.

Round Two...

The first few days after each treatment I looked like I had been beaten and burned, but I got better within a week. If you choose to do the procedure, you will need to avoid the sun during the entire treatment process. Also, the darker your skin the less effective the laser.

Final results so far - pictured with Michael Buffer. Hope this helps anybody thinking about taking the big plunge. More updates if requested.

LT

Supplemental Q & A

Q: Had you talked to some-one else who had the laser treatment done on their head, before you did it?

A: No, I couldn't find anybody else in Oklahoma City who had it done.

Q: You mentioned "pain" in your story. How much pain was it on a scale of 1 - 10 (10 being unbearable).

A: It wasn't too bad; maybe a 3. I later found the cream which took almost all of the pain away.

Q: How did you find some-one willing to perform the treatment?

A: I found a family doctor who does laser on the side.

Q: What is the professional title of the person who performed the treatment?

A: D.O. - doctor of osteopathic medicine

Q: From the first treatment to the last, about how long did it take?

A: I had one treatment every three weeks for 4-6 treatments. So about 12 - 18 weeks.

Laser hair removal, like razors and clippers, is not the definitive solution to head shaving. If you are considering laser treatment to clean your dome, make sure you do your research.