Laser hair removal uses light energy to damage or destroy germ cells in your hair follicles, but this does not make treatment permanent.
After receiving multiple laser treatments, it should be possible to enjoy long-term results with only occasional touch-up sessions required as maintenance. Although hair may return, usually lighter and finer than its initial growth.
Paradoxical Hypertrichosis
Laser hair removal can be an effective method for permanently eliminating unwanted body hair. Many clients experience permanent results from their treatments. However, it’s important to remember that not all hair follicles receive equal treatment and some might grow back after treatments; in such cases if thicker or darker hair grows back after being treated during an incorrect growth phase it could mean misdiagnosis of treatment results.
Laser treatments target melanin in your hair follicles to cause selective thermolysis that destroys germ cells in order to treat active anagen phase hairs; any telogen or catagen phase hair will not be removed by this laser; thus multiple sessions may be needed in order to reach desired results.
Hair growth cycles vary for every individual depending on factors like your age, hormone levels and natural rate of hair growth. Therefore, it’s essential that you follow your laser treatment plan on time. Missed appointments could result in your hair entering telogen phase without being successfully eliminated using laser.
Hair in its telogen phase often appears thinner or lighter in appearance; nonetheless, it still grows. Therefore, it’s essential to visit a dermatologist or hair specialist regularly for follow up.
Paradoxical hypertrichosis (PHT) occurs when hair re-grows thicker and darker after receiving laser treatment for hair removal. Although not common, paradoxical Hypertrichosis typically affects patients with dark skin complexions who also have history of polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). While its cause remains unknown, long-pulsed alexandrite laser may have stimulated more hair follicles to produce additional hairs during treatment, leading to paradoxical Hypertrichosis as a side effect of laser hair removal therapy.
Good news is that when hair regrowth does happen, it tends to be thinner and lighter in color than before – not as thick or fast either! Scheduling regular follow-up sessions with your hair removal specialist should help eliminate this problem; additionally, be careful not to over-pluck or wax excess hair as this could compromise the results of laser treatments.
Hormonal Imbalance
Traditional methods for dealing with unwanted body hair (like shaving, waxing and depilatory creams ) only last several days or weeks, while laser treatment aims to permanently eliminate body hair. A series of laser sessions is needed in order to fully rid yourself of body hair for good; if after your recommended number have passed and still hair grows back it could indicate hormonal imbalance.
Laser treatments involve doctors pressing a handheld instrument against your skin. Its tip is covered with cooling gel for added comfort, before activating a laser light beam that passes through and absorbs pigment from hair follicles – heating damage caused by this laser is designed to destroy them and stop new hair production.
Once your follicles start producing new hair, they enter the anagen phase of their growth cycle. Unfortunately, this natural process cannot be stopped, which explains why some hair may grow back after laser treatment; thus it’s essential that all recommended laser sessions be completed to ensure all follicles have been effectively destroyed.
Hormones play an integral part in how many hair follicles enter anagen phase, so periodic treatments may be necessary. Conditions like polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) can increase androgens in your system and contribute to excess facial and body hair growth; keeping hormones balanced with medication or healthy diet will help alleviate this issue.
Laser hair removal can be an effective solution to unwanted body hair, but results may differ between individuals. Your results may depend on factors like skin tone or hair color; more sessions may be required than anticipated in order to achieve the desired outcome. If you have questions about its efficacy, reach out and schedule a consultation appointment with one of our board-certified physicians in Burleson, Texas.
Low Fluence Treatment
Fluence of laser treatments is also an integral component of their effectiveness, playing an essential role in how well they treat pigmented lesions. A higher fluence will deliver more power directly to the targeted area while potentially harming nearby tissue more severely. Recently, Q-switched lasers with lower fluence treatments are rapidly growing in popularity as they cause less inflammation while still offering effective pigmented lesions treatment solutions.
Low fluence treatments are more comfortable for patients as it minimizes discomfort and downtime, thus making this technique increasingly used to treat melasma as well as other pigmented lesions such as psoriasis or freckles.
Subthermolytic laser treatment utilizes a lower energy setting that targets melanin in the epidermis without harming keratinocytes, offering promise in reducing melasma recurrence rates. According to one study with 50 patients of Fitzpatrick skin types IV, V and VI who received nine weekly treatments of an Nd:YAG laser at 12 J/cm2 treatment setting using 1064nm wavelength wavelength Q-switched Nd:YAG at 1064nm wavelength; their severity scores, papule counts and cobblestoning decreased significantly with histologic evaluation revealing less inflammation, returning back to normal seven days post treatment.
Studies conducted recently demonstrated the efficacy of using a Q-switched laser with low fluence and high pulse repetition rate as an effective solution in treating facial partial unilateral lentiginosis (PUL), an uncommon but benign condition characterized by multiple lentigines in one area of skin. Traditional laser treatment may improve its cosmetic appearance but may be associated with inflammation, hyperpigmentation and scarring; Q-switched laser treatments appear safer.
Histology analysis of treated skin biopsies taken at different fluences demonstrated in this study that exposure to laser settings with higher fluence during anagen resulted in extensive thermal injury to follicular epithelium; conversely, those exposed at lower fluences during anagen experienced minimal damage and no scarring 28 days post-treatment.
When visiting for your next treatment, it is wise to inquire as to the type and frequency of sessions they will use. Too often clinics use one setting for all their clients, which limits your results compared to what may be possible with more tailored approaches.
The Growth Cycle
Laser hair removal involves having a doctor use a hand-held instrument equipped with a cooling device or gel on its tip against your skin, in order to minimize discomfort and protect your skin. Once activated, the laser sends out beams of light that target hair follicles in order to damage them and eventually prevent future growth from the same follicle, thus diminishing unwanted hairs over time.
Dependent upon the color and texture of your hair and skin complexion, multiple treatments may be required before seeing desired results. On average, you should see reduced hair growth after about six to eight treatments; however, ongoing touch-up appointments will likely need to be scheduled once every year in order to maintain them.
As hair follicles go through various phases in their growth cycle, only those in anagen phase will be treated by laser therapy; those in catagen and telogen phases won’t be. Therefore, multiple sessions must be scheduled in order to cover an area fully with treated follicles.
Hair will still grow back in follicles that haven’t been targeted with laser treatment, but it will be much finer and less noticeable. New growth will occur later in its cycle compared to before; hence shorter than otherwise expected growth of new hair follicles would have occurred had you not undergone laser therapy treatment.
Many people find that laser treatments completely block new hair growth, with any regrowth only showing as sparse and fine strands. Unfortunately, others experience earlier regrowth that requires regular touch-up treatments in order to keep unwanted hair at bay.
Hormonal imbalances and other factors may hinder the effectiveness of laser hair removal, so it is crucial that you follow your physician’s recommendations and complete all recommended laser treatment sessions for maximum success. Doing this will result in long-lasting and superior results over those achieved through shaving, waxing or tweezing alone. If you experience hair regrowth after laser treatment contact us for help immediately!
