Laser hair removal offers a permanent solution to body hair growth, while being far safer than shaving with razors or depilatory creams.
Although permanent hair removal treatments exist, some hair may reappear following your treatments due to hormone shifts, pregnancy or taking certain medications.
Changes in Hormone Levels
Laser hair removal is an effective noninvasive solution to eliminating unwanted body hair. While for some individuals it may result in permanent or near-permanent results, other may only require semiannual treatments to maintain their desired look – depending on various factors like where on their face or body they need treatment and fluctuations in hormone levels.
Hormonal fluctuations may increase hair growth, leading to faster regrowth following laser treatments than before they started. Hormones control how fast new follicles form under the skin, so any disruption to this normal cycle could influence how fast new ones form in response to laser treatments.
Before beginning laser hair removal treatments, it’s essential that you have your hormone levels assessed. Hormonal imbalance can result in serious health problems like hirsutism; wherein women grow hair in areas usually reserved for men. Other conditions that cause hormonal imbalance include polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and thyroid dysfunctions.
Laser treatments may lead to pigment changes, altering the tone and color of treated areas compared to surrounding ones. This usually happens with those who do not protect their skin from sun exposure before and after treatments or have darker complexions.
Most individuals require four or six laser sessions before experiencing long-term results from laser hair removal treatments, since laser only targets hair follicles that are in their active growth phase and because various parts of a given area all have various stages of growth, multiple sessions will likely be necessary in order to target every hair follicle effectively.
Damage to the Treated Area
Laser hair removal uses a beam of light that heats and damages pigment in hair follicles to stop their activity and thus hair growth. Unfortunately, treatment needs to be repeated over time in order to successfully eradicate unwanted hair growth.
Laser hair removal side effects typically include redness and irritation in the treated area, similar to mild sunburn symptoms. These should resolve within an hour post procedure; an ice pack may speed recovery while alleviating any associated pain or discomfort.
Before beginning laser hair removal, it is wise to avoid tanning beds and natural sunlight as tanned skin can make it harder for the laser beams to reach and damage hair follicles. You should also forego plucking, waxing or shaving any areas scheduled to be treated for at least several days beforehand.
Blisters can cause significant discomfort. Some laser hair removal clinics employ cooling devices built into their handpiece to mitigate this risk, yet blisters can still occur if you’re sensitive or get lasered by an inexperienced technician. If this does happen to you, treat it just like any other blister and make sure you keep moisturizing the area as soon as possible.
Pregnancy may make your skin more sensitive to laser treatments, so it’s essential that you inform your physician if you are expecting before making an appointment for laser hair removal. Because it is unsafe to perform laser hair removal during gestation, treatments should begin after giving birth instead. Furthermore, waxing and tweezing could prevent the laser from reaching hair follicles properly.
Pregnancy
Many pregnant women will notice patches of new hair growth while expecting due to hormone fluctuations that activate dormant follicles and increase thickening, usually lasting six months post birth. Although this thickening will likely subside postpartum, this change may prove frustrating for those who had laser treatments prior to gestation.
Therefore, pregnant women or those planning on becoming pregnant should generally wait to undergo laser hair treatments until after giving birth. There may still be ways of managing unwanted hair during this period; temporary solutions like shaving, waxing or tweezing may be safe but there may be potential risks involved when undertaking any chemical or mechanical skin treatments during gestation that involve surface layers of skin; pregnancy increases blood flow while stretching of skin can make any treatment uncomfortable or even painful.
Note that pregnancy can change skin pigmentation, and any treatment which involves surface skin may leave permanent marks behind. Though rare, this is one reason why certain clinics won’t accept pregnant patients at certain times of gestation.
Pregnant women also typically have a compromised immune system, making any burns from laser treatments take longer to heal and could potentially result in scarring or infections. Furthermore, anesthetics commonly used during laser procedures may not be safe during gestation; most clinics will recommend waiting until breastfeeding has stopped before resumed your laser sessions.
Birth Control Pills
Laser hair removal and IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) treatments offer permanent or long-term solutions for unwanted hair. Unlike shaving or waxing where each hair must be pulled out by its root by someone else, both laser treatments target each individual follicle so as to leave your skin silky smooth and free from discolored patches.
No matter how effective these treatments may be, they won’t last forever. That’s because it is nearly impossible to destroy every hair follicle in a treated area with laser treatments – this makes them only temporary solutions. Hormonal imbalances, skin damage and pregnancy can all trigger new hair growth within this treatment area.
If hair regrowth occurs, it’s essential that you visit a medspa as soon as possible for touch up treatments to remove dark and unsightly strands from the area, leaving your skin free of unwanted stubble.
Laser treatment sessions also recommend forgoing waxing beforehand, as long hair must reach its natural length to enable laser technology to access and destroy hair follicles effectively. This saves you both time and effort as no longer will you have to spend days shaving or waxing those pesky unwanted hairs! Most people require six initial sessions and one or two follow ups each year in order to achieve hairless skin – an immense savings when compared with years spent using depilatory creams, shaving, or scheduling appointments for waxing services!
Waxing
Laser hair removal can be an incredible solution to permanently reduce unwanted hair growth. Unfortunately, however, it doesn’t work perfectly for everyone and requires continued upkeep in order to remain hair free. Some individuals require touch up treatments annually while others can go years between visits; this depends on many factors including when your last laser treatment was administered, how often you wax or shave and where on the body the treatment area is situated.
Your laser treatments may be enhanced by forgoing shaving and waxing in the area being treated. Shaving can cause hair follicles to recede from the skin, hindering results. Waxing can irritate skin further while speeding up hair regrowth.
After receiving laser therapy, the best way to care for your skin post-treatment is with moisturizer and sunscreen application. Tanning or sunbathing during the weeks preceding a session should also be avoided and sunscreen must always be worn.
Before your laser treatment begins, you will receive eye protection and be asked to remove clothing that covers the area being treated. Your technician will then begin the treatment, which may feel similar to a series of stings or snaps similar to rubber band snapping against your skin – typically taking between 30-90 minutes, depending on its size.
After your treatment, the treated area may appear red and swollen at first but should quickly heal over time. It is recommended to use moisturizer and refrain from picking at any crusting that forms as this exposes new skin which increases risk for bleeding, scabbing and scarring.
