Hair grows through four distinct stages and our laser treatments only target anagen-phase hairs – that is why we ask clients not to pluck or wax between sessions.
Over a seven to thirty day period, redness and bumps may arise as your body pushes out dead hair from its follicles. Therefore, it’s essential that you return for follow up treatments in order to ensure long-term results.
7 – 30 days after treatment
Following laser hair removal, it’s common for some shedding to occur for several days to weeks after treatment. However, it’s essential that no harsh techniques such as tweezing, waxing or plucking be used as this will disrupt follicles and make their return harder than anticipated. A loofah or gentle washcloth should suffice in removing any hair shedding in this time period.
As soon as laser treatments have taken place, it is wise to limit sun exposure, as direct sunlight may cause skin darkening or burning. Furthermore, using moisturizers regularly after laser treatment will keep it healthy and smooth; sometimes skin may feel slightly sensitive, similar to when exposed to direct sunlight; this should subside within 24 hours.
At each laser hair removal session, a laser destroys both the hair follicles and roots responsible for unwanted hair growth. As a result, multiple sessions may be necessary in order to permanently eradicate unwanted hair; unlike other hair removal methods which must be repeated every few years.
Laser treatments may be uncomfortable, but in the long run it will pay off in spades. Once unwanted hair has been eliminated from your body, you’ll enjoy a more streamlined and polished appearance. Laser hair removal treatments can be done anywhere on your body — eyebrows, nose, lips, face, underarms legs and arms all benefit. It usually requires six-8 laser sessions before noticeable reduction in unwanted hair can take place.
If you’re considering laser hair removal, it is ideal to space out treatments at least 10 weeks apart. This gives your hair time to transition from its active growth phase, known as anagen stage, into resting or telogen stage before receiving treatment with laser light. While anagen stage hair is most vulnerable to laser treatment; plucking, waxing or bleaching during this phase could disrupt its natural cycle and cause it to grow back faster than anticipated.
Most patients see an impressive 90% reduction in hair growth with laser hair removal; however, touch-up sessions once or twice annually may be needed to maintain results; those who have darker hair or more tanned skin may require additional sessions more frequently than others.
1 – 2 weeks after treatment
One of the most frequently asked questions we receive regarding laser hair removal treatments is what to expect post-treatment. Unfortunately, the answer lies within your hands as hairs take time to shed from your body; particularly those in anagen phase which were treated by laser. Typically this process can last from days to weeks but by then your growth should have significantly diminished while any remaining ones will likely be finer and lighter in color than before treatment began.
While the laser works its magic on hairs, you should avoid shaving, plucking, waxing or tweezing the area as this could interfere with its effectiveness in eliminating them. Allow the natural process of hairfall out from follicles onto skin; using loofahs or washcloths may speed this up further or an exfoliating pad can aid this shedding process as well.
Your skin may be itchy after treatment, but scratching can cause scarring and irritation that could require scar revision surgery later. Cold compresses or moisturizers may help relieve itching if necessary; you should also try not exposing treated areas to natural or artificial sunlight as this could result in sunburn or other skin ailments.
Laser hair removal treatments differ from other methods in that they use light waves to permanently destroy germ cells in hair follicles and prevent new hair growth, providing long-term or permanent results depending on individual circumstances. Although some hair may reappear after repeated laser sessions, it usually grows back finer and lighter in texture than before.
Are you tired of shaving, tweezing and waxing to remove unwanted hair? At Spring Street Dermatology in NYC we provide permanent laser hair reduction to reduce unwanted hairs for an easier, smoother look. Visit us online or contact us now to book a consultation for our laser hair reduction services in SOHO, Tribeca and Uptown areas of New York City.
3 – 4 weeks after treatment
After your laser hair removal session, it’s essential that you refrain from waxing, tweezing, or plucking any unwanted hairs for the next several weeks. This is due to how effective treatment requires your follicle-anchored strands remaining attached; when these are pulled or broken by plucking/shaving/plucking etcetera the laser cannot target their pigment (i.e. melanin).
If you can’t refrain from these practices in advance of your laser treatment session, you may be disappointed by its outcomes. It takes six weeks for your follicles to produce hair suitable for targeting by laser; while there may still be some regrowth afterward it tends to be lighter and finer than what would have grown prior to treatment.
At your laser hair removal session, a specialist will apply topical cream to numb your skin before placing an instrument over areas with unwanted hair growth. When laser light from this instrument hits hair follicles beneath your skin it damages them, rendering them incapable of growing new hair in future sessions.
Your hair should begin falling out approximately seven to thirty days following laser treatment, leaving redness or bumps behind as your body pushes out damaged hair that was destroyed during this process.
Help accelerate this process by gently rubbing or exfoliating the affected area of your body, taking care not to overly rub as this could irritate sensitive skin. Also use broad spectrum SPF30 sunscreen in this area so it remains protected from sunlight that could harm treated skin.
6 – 8 weeks after treatment
Laser hair removal treatments should be undertaken on an ongoing schedule to achieve long-lasting or even permanent results. Otherwise, hair follicles might not have been sufficiently damaged and thus continued growing will occur – so make sure that you visit the clinic as directed by your physician in order to complete sessions on schedule.
Timeline for Hair Loss After receiving laser treatment, it is not unusual for some of your unwanted hair to begin falling out within seven to 30 days as part of the body’s natural response to damaged follicles. There may even be temporary growth as visible hair remains in anagen phase and has not entered telogen or shedding phase yet.
Laser treatments will continue to target any remaining anagen phase hair until it becomes damaged or falls out, at which point its follicle becomes incapable of producing new growth and enters dormancy or telogen phase – but you may still experience some regrowth, although that process could take months to fully occur.
While waiting for your regrowth to complete, it is important not to pluck or wax the area, which will impede its progress and could compromise long-term results. Furthermore, tanning or using sunless skin creams could darken the surface of your skin and make it more challenging for laser treatment to target individual follicles.
Future success requires sticking to your schedule and not skipping sessions. Some individuals require up to eight treatments before seeing desired results while others only six; it all depends on hair density, location of treatment and growth cycle of hair follicles.
Laser treatments involve pressing a handheld instrument against your skin. This instrument may include cooling devices or gel tips to keep you comfortable and minimize side effects, before activating a laser beam that penetrates skin to destroy hair follicles responsible for unwanted hair growth.
