How Does Laser Hair Removal Work? (2024)

FAQs

How Does Laser Hair Removal Work? ›

The lasers are focused on the hair follicles, away from individual nerve endings. We use a Dynamic Cooling Device to spray precisely calibrated amounts of coolant onto the skin. We apply carefully calibrated doses of topical anesthetics to numb the skin further.

Most people experience hair removal that lasts several months, and it might last for years. But laser hair removal doesn't guarantee permanent hair removal. When hair regrows, it's usually finer and lighter in color. You might need maintenance laser treatments for long-term hair reduction.

After finishing the treatments, most patients do not see any hair on the treated skin for several months or even years. When the hair regrows, there tends to be less of it. The hairs also tend to be finer and lighter in color.

As previously mentioned, shaving the area is encouraged as long as no plucking or waxing is going on. A shave 24 to 48 hours before the appointed date is important. While the hair root is invisible, the laser can seek it out within the pigment.

Though there is some pain, it's often less than people imagine. Laser hair removal targets your hair follicles with a very hot laser, but you won't feel this heat or any burning. Instead, you might feel a sensation similar to having an elastic band snapped against your skin.

If you stop laser hair removal too early, you'll likely be left with something around the percentage that is there now. Once the particular follicle is dead it won't regrow, but new ones can be triggered by hormonal changes.

Alexandrite Laser (755 nm)

The reported success rate of hair removal using the alexandrite has ranged from 40% to 80% at 6 months after several treatments [19].

The appearance of increased hair growth after laser hair removal can be concerning, but it's important to understand that this is a normal part of the treatment process. Hair shedding, hair growth cycles, and misconceptions about hair growth can all contribute to the perception of increased hairiness.

In rare instances, laser hair removal may cause thicker, darker hair to grow or regrow in an adjacent area to the one being treated. This condition is known as paradoxical hypertrichosis. Paradoxical hypertrichosis can occur anywhere on the face or body.

With hairs at different stages at any given time, a single laser session can only target hairs in the active growth phase. This discrepancy means that hairs not in the active phase during treatment will continue to grow, leading to the perception of stubble.

What I wish I knew before laser hair removal? ›

Here's what to avoid:

Avoid heat treatments such as spas, steam rooms and saunas for 7 days. Avoid excessive scrubbing or applying pressure to the skin for 4-5 days. This is to allow the treated skin to recover and to prevent any infection. Avoid shaving the treated area for 72 hours after treatment.

Reduced effectiveness. If you don't shave before your laser hair removal treatment, the laser will target the surface hair, which can lead to a less effective session. This means you might require more sessions than initially planned, delaying your journey towards that attractive, hair-free body.

Bikini Line and Brazilian Laser Hair Removal

The bikini line is one of the most popular Laser Hair Removal treatment areas, but it also has some of the thinnest skin. Skin becomes more sensitive the thinner it is, so the bikini line is often one of the most painful areas for any type of hair removal.

The underarms are among the most painful areas of the body to undergo laser hair removal because the skin is so thin. This isn't necessarily the case for the rest of your arms, though, where the pain is much milder.

People may want the treatment on their underarms, back or bikini area. It's not permanent, but the results last longer than shaving or waxing. Most people need about six treatments. It's usually safe, but side effects can include burns, scars or permanent skin discoloration.

While most patients enjoy the benefits of laser treatments for many years, this procedure is technically semi-permanent. This is because some hair follicles can remain unaffected by the laser. That said, patients generally find that most hair follicles no longer grow back.

Even though the hair may eventually return, if the laser did its job on the targeted hair follicles, it usually will appear lighter or thinner upon any regrowth. This is completely normal, and the appearance of your unwanted hair is a solvable problem that follow-up treatments down the road can easily remedy.

While laser treatment doesn't get rid of hair forever (only electrolysis is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for permanent hair removal), it does drastically reduce hair growth—to the point that many patients won't see any for months or even years, and the hairs that do crop up are often thinner ...

Although most people see a significant decrease in hair growth after 6-8 sessions, claiming it to be completely permanent is misleading. After 10 sessions, hair growth is often finer and lighter, but factors like hair colour, skin type, hormonal changes, and the treated area can influence results.