Most patients require multiple laser treatment sessions in order to achieve lasting results, due to hair growing in stages and laser treatments only targeting hair that is currently growing actively.
At this stage, hair can still re-grow even after receiving laser hair removal treatments. Here are a few key points to remember before scheduling your first laser hair removal session.
How Long Does the Treatment Take?
Unwanted hair on the face and body is a widespread issue among both men and women. While traditional methods like shaving, plucking, and waxing only produce temporary results, laser hair removal offers permanent hair reduction after just a short series of treatments.
Dr. Green uses only high quality laser devices equipped with Dynamic Cooling that provide maximum patient comfort, making each treatment session as short or as long as necessary depending on its size and scope. Facial treatments typically take only 10-20 minutes while legs could require an hour or more. Most patients report only minor discomfort during laser treatment sessions – some describe it as rubber bands gently snapping the skin – caused by laser light energy penetrating skin pores to disrupt hair follicles. Dr. Green uses top of the line laser devices with this feature to minimize patient discomfort during laser sessions and treatments sessions.
When selecting a provider for laser hair removal, it is vitally important that they be accredited medical aestheticians with extensive training in dermatology procedures. Otherwise, those without extensive education in dermatology risk side effects such as blistering, burns and hyperpigmentation which could increase risks.
At your consultation, a dermatologist will recommend the optimal laser device and laser hair removal schedule to match your skin tone and hair thickness. Together, they’ll work out an individualized schedule of laser hair removal treatments tailored specifically for you to ensure full removal and optimal cosmetic results.
Due to your individual rate of hair growth, the number of sessions needed varies greatly between individuals. Some areas, like chest and back areas, typically need more laser hair removal sessions than others. Hormonal factors may also have an impact on this factor.
Waxing and plucking of hair must not occur between laser hair removal sessions to allow laser hair removal to work effectively, while sun exposure must also be limited before and after treatments to avoid hyperpigmentation of skin.
How Long Does the Recovery Take?
Laser hair removal is an efficient and painless procedure. Your technician will first cleanse the area before covering your eyes with shields to shield from laser light. Next, using a handheld device with attached laser, they pass it spot-by-spot over desired area using handheld device with attached laser. As they pass it over an active-growth hair follicle it emits thermal energy pulses which damage or destroy pigmentation and inhibit future hair growth – depending on size of area treated, procedure could last between minutes to hours depending on complexity of area being treated
After laser hair removal treatment, your skin may feel red and swollen for several days following treatment. To minimize discomfort, cold compresses should be applied several times daily on the treated area and it’s wise to avoid exposure to direct sunlight in this time as too much exposure could increase risk for hypopigmentation as well as burns.
After treatment, you may safely shave the area; however, waxing or plucking it must wait until all hair in that region has fallen out naturally. Shaving will only stimulate new hair growth while your treatments should target only hair that’s actively growing at that time.
Most people require multiple sessions of laser hair removal for long-lasting results. Each appointment should take place 4-6 weeks apart depending on your hair’s natural growth cycle and you should begin seeing results shortly thereafter; unwanted hair should begin falling out in subsequent weeks following each treatment session.
Laser therapy stands apart from other methods for its long-term, permanent results that do not need further touchups or maintenance. Once your series of laser hair removal treatments have ended, you can enjoy silky skin that reveals itself without the presence of hair.
No matter the outcome you desire, rest assured that a dermatologist will only recommend treatments which are safe and effective to ensure the wellbeing of your skin. When considering at-home laser devices that are not FDA approved and overtreating certain areas, beware as this could potentially cause irreparable harm to the surface layer of skin.
How Long Will the Results Last?
Laser hair removal is a safe and effective treatment option for eliminating unwanted body hair. Most patients do not experience regrowth for months or even years after finishing a series of treatment sessions; when hair does reappear it tends to be finer and lighter in color than before.
Laser hair removal treatments depend on your skin type and coarseness of hair; generally speaking, six sessions will suffice in meeting cosmetic goals. Furthermore, minimizing sun exposure and waxing or other methods will extend results further.
So that laser energy can effectively target and damage the pigment of your hair, it’s essential that you shave prior to each laser hair removal treatment session. Also avoid plucking, waxing or threading between sessions as these methods remove pigment from hair follicles which makes treatment ineffective.
Dr. Green’s private dermatology practice on Manhattan’s Upper East Side will go over how best to prepare for laser hair removal treatment during your consultation with her. Shaving is recommended on the day of the appointment; however, she advises against shaving too closely to risk irritation or inflammation. Furthermore, she will discuss ways in which sun exposure before and after laser hair removal sessions could compromise its efficacy.
Most patients do not experience significant pain during laser hair removal treatments, although some may experience discomfort similar to waxing; in most cases this discomfort is reduced significantly thanks to numbing cream applied before each session begins.
As soon as your laser hair removal treatment has concluded, your skin may appear red and swollen for three days post-procedure. To reduce any adverse reactions from sunlight exposure or harsh chemical-laden skincare products on treated areas, gently exfoliating three days post-treatment will encourage the shedding of any permanently damaged hairs and help achieve improved cosmetic results.
How Often Can I Get Treatment?
Laser hair removal is an ongoing treatment. Because hair grows in cycles, multiple sessions are necessary to effectively destroy unwanted growth and block future follicles from sprouting. Most individuals require six to eight laser treatments before experiencing lasting results – we offer treatments at intervals ranging from four to 12 weeks so as to meet your unique goals and timeline.
Before your laser session begins, you will be instructed to shave the area that will be treated. Shaving allows the laser to more easily target pigment inside hair follicles. Please refrain from waxing, plucking or using tweezers in this area prior to your appointment as these practices could impede results.
At our facility, we will provide protective goggles to wear during your treatment to shield your eyes from laser beams and protect your skin from unnecessary glare and sun damage.
As the laser passes over your skin, you may experience a light heat sensation similar to when rubber bands snap against it. While this heat may cause some discomfort, it should generally be tolerable. Following treatment completion, you may experience redness and swelling that should subside within hours; occasionally you may also detect an sulfurous-smelling scent from your skin – this is an expected side effect of laser skin treatments.
Treatment works by targeting the pigment of hair within your follicles and disabling them, thus stopping their ability to produce any further hair growth. Since pigment can take several weeks to leave your follicles, repeating treatments is necessary before any visible results appear.
At our laser hair treatment clinic in Dublin, we use multiple lasers to address hair on any body area – for women this includes facial and upper lip hair growth. In many cases, excessive facial hair stems from hormonal imbalances which may require oral contraceptives or Spironolactone treatment in addition to laser therapy sessions.
