Laser hair removal is an effective and safe solution to unwanted hair growth. When performed by a certified practitioner who complies with ISO standards, it offers maximum effectiveness in treating unwanted strands of fuzz.
Rarely does laser treatment cause thicker and darker regrowth after heat damage to follicles; rather, this prevents them from producing any new hair for some time after receiving laser therapy.
1. Hair follicles in the anagen phase
Laser treatment works best at eliminating unwanted hair when hair follicles are in their anagen stage of growth and visible above the skin’s surface. During this phase, lasers can effectively grab onto and pull out hair follicles from beneath them using light pulses emitted by light bulbs. Shaving, waxing and tweezing all damage hair follicles by forcing them out of anagen phase early into catagen or telogen stages (resting stages). This causes rapid loss of hair fallout as your anagen phase exited too early and catagen or telogen phases (resting phases).
Hair loss treatments such as Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) aim to stimulate the anagen phase and extend its length and potency for those still in its anagen stage, potentially helping slow pattern hair loss progression or reverse it altogether. Keep in mind, however, that typically multiple sessions will be required in order to completely rid one area of unwanted hair growth.
Hair follicles consist of many layers, starting with the bulb in the center. This bulb contains dermal papilla which contain germinative cells to produce hair and connects via stalk to an inner root sheath which is enclosed by outer epidermis and fibrous sheaths.
Anagen Phase The anagen phase involves hair follicles proliferating, producing new hairs that grow out from under the scalp, until eventually, the epidermis sheds to allow new growth to come through – this process is known as miniaturization. Anagen phase can last years; in androgenetic alopecia (male and female pattern hair loss), however, its duration reduces and hair follicles become smaller with each new growth cycle that passes causing remaining hairs to thin out and shorter as each cycle passes.
Laser therapy works to stimulate anagen phase follicles by emitting photons to trigger cellular regeneration, leading to their reentry and prolonging their stay in the anagen phase. Furthermore, it may help normalize physiological regeneration of follicles during hair loss disorders like male AGA and female AA. Finally, low level laser therapy (LLLT) has the power to speed hair growth by slowing the rate at which follicles lose their growth ability and accelerate hair growth by slowing their loss rate and increasing their chances.
2. Hormonal imbalance
Laser treatment may actually accelerate hair growth in certain instances, known as paradoxical hypertrichosis. This phenomenon is due to low level heating of the skin which stimulates hair follicles to grow hair follicles. This condition occurs most commonly among patients who suffer from hormonal imbalances involving excess male hormones like testosterone; its balance must first be assessed prior to laser hair removal treatment as this could stimulate rapid regrowth, though this issue can often be solved by either consulting with a medical practitioner or taking hormonal supplements to balance out their levels before proceeding with laser hair removal treatments.
PCOS patients commonly experience an imbalance of androgens; when this imbalance is addressed, testosterone that causes hirsutism diminishes and clients experience better results from laser treatments or electrolysis procedures. I have also worked with clients whose thyroid or thyroid-stimulating hormone levels had become imbalanced, who saw significant improvements when their hormonal issues were addressed.
Laser hair removal involves having a hand-held laser instrument pressed against your skin with cooling device or gel attached. Once in contact, a laser beam will pass through your skin surface and target pigment in hair follicles that determines hair color; these pigments will be targeted and destroyed while those in their resting phase (telogen cycle or resting stage) won’t be affected.
For optimal results from laser treatment, it is crucial that individuals with tans avoid direct sunlight for several weeks prior to beginning treatments as its UVA and UVB rays can cause hypopigmentation (discoloration of skin). It is also wise to forego shaving or waxing in the area that will be treated, since doing so disrupts hair follicles.
After your initial series of laser hair removal treatments, it should take months or years before any hair reappears in the area treated. When it does regrow, it typically appears finer and lighter in color. As ongoing maintenance, we recommend receiving laser sessions every four to six weeks.
3. Low-fluence (low energy) treatments
Laser treatment utilizes a laser light beam to minimize the need for shaving, waxing and plucking. It works by targeting the pigment (color) of hair follicles under your skin’s surface and permanently destroying them – dark-colored hair is usually easier to target but even lighter-colored hair can benefit from laser therapy treatment.
After multiple treatments, some individuals experience permanent results; however, this cannot be guaranteed; results depend on factors like hair growth cycle, hormone levels and other considerations.
At the start of a laser hair removal session, your dermatologist will press a hand-held instrument against your skin surface, possibly equipped with cooling devices or gel that protects and reduces discomfort from laser heat. He or she then activates the device sending an intensely heated beam directly onto your hair follicles, shrinking them as they stop producing new hairs.
Heat from a laser beam also changes your skin’s pigment, so your hairs might appear darker or thinner when they regrow following treatment – this is normal and shouldn’t cause concern.
Once your laser hair removal treatment has completed, regular maintenance sessions may be recommended every four to six weeks for ongoing treatment. Your dermatologist will inform you if and when treatment can resume.
Many times, the results from an initial treatment course will last months or years; should any hair regrow, it usually appears finer and lighter in color than before.
To maximize the longevity of laser hair removal results, it is wise to avoid plucking or waxing any area where treatments will take place for at least several months before and after. Plucking and waxing disrupt hair roots and can reduce skin’s resilience against laser damage and shorten results’ life expectancy. Sun exposure before and after laser hair removal treatments should also be limited since sun damage could diminish their effectiveness; your dermatologist can offer guidance and advice to maximize and extend results over time.
4. Age
Hormonal fluctuations as we age can alter our hair growth patterns, prompting hair follicles to reactivate and thicken, particularly on the face. Some experience this as early as their 20s while for others it occurs as late as middle age due to menopause or decreased production of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) an androgen produced in both ovaries and testicles and that has the ability to affect one’s hair growth patterns.
At any age, our skin may start to thin out over time, making laser treatments less effective in targeting hair growth below it and potentially leading to more unwanted growth. Therefore it’s crucial that laser treatment be provided by a certified practitioner with experience treating all skin types and colors.
Laser treatments work by vaporizing hairs that lie above the surface of the skin and at their roots. Because not all anagen phase hairs appear simultaneously, multiple treatments spread out over weeks or months are usually needed to catch all these anagen phase hairs; even then it is unlikely that all hairs in a certain area have been successfully treated; so to ensure maximum effectiveness it’s advisable to follow-up your treatment plan with top-up sessions every six to twelve months after completion of its original plan.
Prior to receiving laser treatment, it’s also essential that any manual epilation be avoided as this could reduce effectiveness of treatment results. If you need help choosing which laser option best fits you, speak to a dermatologist as they will offer invaluable guidance.
Laser hair removal on the body is often permanent or near-permanent and, over time, any reappearing hair is much sparser and finer. On the face however, hair regrowth may take longer due to various hormonal influences; some individuals require touchup treatments at least semiannually while others don’t require any maintenance for several years or more.
