Dermatologist in Washington, D.C. Tailors Laser Hair Removal to Skin Color

    WASHINGTON, DC, November 29, 2015 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Dr. Eliot Battle, (www.culturamed.com) a dermatologist in Washington, D.C., uses "color blind" lasers for hair removal that are effective regardless of a patient's skin color.

"Skin of color is more sensitive and prone to side effects such discoloration and scarring from skin treatments, including laser hair removal," says Dr. Battle, co-founder of the Washington, D.C., dermatology practice Cultura, which specializes in skin care for patients of all ethnicities. "So different kinds of lasers serve different people better."

Dr. Battle devoted 2 years at Harvard University to pioneering research in this field. Previous to such research, only patients with certain hair types, skin types, and skin colors were able to achieve strong results from laser hair removal treatments. People with light skin and dark hair saw the most effective results because the laser beam targets pigment, or melanin, in the patient's hair. These older, "one-size-fits-all" lasers couldn't distinguish between dark hair and dark skin, leading to burns, dark spots, and scarring.

Dr. Battle says Cultura's stable of 12 different hair removal lasers includes newer options designed to work for all patients, enabling the practice to customize each treatment for specific factors, including skin color, hair color, ethnicity, darkness of tan, skin sensitivity, and hair diameter.

He says he also often uses different lasers for a single patient at different points in the treatment regimen. Multiple laser treatment sessions -- usually about 8 -- are necessary to get good results, and as the sessions go on, Dr. Battle says, he may switch laser devices one or more times.

"Hair thins and turns lighter after the early treatments," he says, "so I use different lasers at subsequent appointments to ensure optimal laser hair removal results. Combining multiple lasers with our proven expertise is why we are renowned for our ability to achieve permanent laser hair removal results."

Cultura, which attracts patients from Arlington, Fairfax and Prince William Counties and throughout Virginia and Montgomery, Prince George's, Howard and Baltimore Counties and throughout Maryland, is at the forefront of a trend of dermatologists specializing in ethnic skin care.

Laser hair removal is perennially one of the top cosmetic treatments and has become even more popular in recent years. According to statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), the number of laser hair removal procedures topped 1 million in 2014, a 3% increase from the previous year.

"That increase is being driven in part by people of color," Dr. Battle says. "It makes sense that demographic would grow because these treatments have only recently become effective for many shades of skin. We are happy to be able to offer all patients a range of top-quality options."

Dr. Eliot Battle (www.culturamed.com) is an internationally known dermatologist whose Washington, D.C., practice, Cultura, is a leader in the field of ethnic skin care. Serving Chevy Chase, Bethesda, Rockville, Maryland, and Arlington County, Virginia, Dr. Battle takes an integrated approach to skin care and aesthetic procedures, incorporating a patient's background and lifestyle to deliver personalized results. Dr. Battle earned his medical degree from Howard University and is an assistant clinical professor in the Department of Dermatology at Howard. He is a specialist in the clinical use of lasers and has completed extensive research at Harvard University in laser hair removal technology.

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