People seeking long-term hair removal options beyond shaving and waxing may consider laser treatments as they effectively destroy hair follicles to stop future hair growth.
Some clients achieve permanent or near-permanent hair reduction from these treatments; however, multiple sessions are often necessary in order to reach this result.
How Does Laser Hair Removal Work?
Laser hair removal employs concentrated light energy to destroy hair follicles, leaving your skin permanently smooth and hair-free. Laser’s light passes through your top layers of skin where its energy absorbs by pigments in hair follicles containing melanin; cooling technology ensures skin safety; melanin absorbs laser’s energy and vaporizes into melanin particles within each hair follicle to cease future hair growth; multiple treatment sessions will likely be required in order to eliminate all hair growth permanently; this FDA-approved cosmetic procedure poses no long-term risks, however tanning should be avoided prior to or following laser treatments to avoid damage to your skin from exposure of UV light damage caused by sunburned surfaces of tanning booths/beach as tanners/beachside!
Although your hair and skin color might have some influence over how effective laser hair removal treatments are, they do not determine whether hair grows back quickly after laser hair removal. Plucking and waxing may reduce its effectiveness; to maximize results you should refrain from these activities for six weeks prior to and post-laser hair removal treatment sessions. Also avoid excessive sunlight exposure before and after your session in order to avoid sunburn and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
Laser hair removal does result in some hair growth after treatment, but it will usually be finer and thinner. Most often, results are permanent or nearly permanent; although in rare instances patients may experience temporary reduction in growth post treatment – typically caused by fluctuating hormones which can be corrected with additional touchup treatments.
Women suffering from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) frequently find that thicker, darker unwanted hair on their face and body increases feelings of insecurity and self-consciousness, but laser hair removal is a great way to eliminate unwanted strands and restore confidence in one’s appearance.
Laser hair removal performed by an experienced board-certified dermatologist such as Dr. Michele Green is a safe and noninvasive cosmetic procedure that offers impressive results. She can help create a treatment plan to remove unwanted hair while rejuvenating skin to achieve smooth, silky, beautiful skin. For more information about how laser hair removal could benefit you, reach out to her private practice in Manhattan’s Upper East Side to arrange a consultation session today!
How Long Will It Take to See Results?
Once your series of laser hair removal sessions is over, results may take some time to become visible. This is because hair follicles undergo different phases of development: some in the anagen phase – or growing phase – while others remain resting during catagen or resting phases. Anagen follicles will still grow hair following your laser treatments while resting follicles won’t produce new growth; therefore multiple sessions may be necessary to effectively destroy all follicles producing hair growth.
Once your hair growth begins to slow, you’ll notice less and less hairs on your body as the months pass by. Over time, you may even find that none or very sparse and light colored regrowth is taking place at all. While your follicles can still generate hair post laser treatments, the result will likely be much thinner and lighter than what had existed previously.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that not everyone experiences this. Some individuals’ hair grows back sooner due to hormonal fluctuations or genetic predisposition for rapid hair growth – in these instances it might require additional touch up treatments.
At your appointment, your doctor will apply a hand-held laser instrument containing a cooling device or gel on its tip for added comfort during treatment. A laser beam will pass through your skin to target hair follicles; heat from this laser will damage them so they no longer produce hair growth.
Plucking, waxing or tweezing any unwanted hairs should also be avoided as these actions could prevent laser treatment from reaching its effects on hair follicles, delaying results and lengthening treatment sessions.
How Long Will It Take for Hair to Grow Back?
Once a hair follicle is destroyed by laser treatment, it no longer produces hair; however, new growth may still arise from nearby or untreated follicles; therefore most people require multiple laser hair removal sessions spaced out over several weeks in order to completely destroy all active follicles so when new growth appears it will be thinner and lighter in color.
Though laser hair removal kills the follicles, it is still essential to refrain from plucking, waxing, or tweezing in areas being treated by laser as these actions may disrupt this process and result in hair growth in treated areas. Also it’s wise to avoid direct sun exposure while wearing sunscreen with SPF 30+ protection so as to help keep hairs from growing back darker and thicker than before.
Keep in mind that just because there’s no longer any hair in an area doesn’t mean the treatments are permanent; hair follicles go through four distinct phases: resting, shedding, growing back in and growing back out again. After receiving initial laser treatments in an area, most of your hair may still remain; most likely resting.
Initial treatments should result in a 90 percent reduction of hair growth; however, follow-up sessions will be necessary until desired results have been attained. Once achieved, however, only occasional touch-up sessions will be necessary to maintain them.
If you have blonde or light skin, treated hair follicles could repopulate more readily than usual after being treated; in this instance, electrolysis might be beneficial as another method for hair removal.
Most people find the results of laser hair removal to be long-lasting; in some cases even permanent.
Will Hair Grow Back After the First Session?
Once a hair follicle has been destroyed, it cannot grow any further. Unfortunately, due to their natural cycle of resting, shedding, and growth periods it’s impossible to completely wipe out every single one follicle and when new growth does appear it will often be lighter in color and less noticeable than its predecessor – necessitating multiple treatments in order to get rid of all unwanted hair in an area.
Laser hair removal uses heat from a laser beam to destroy hair follicles and stop their production, unlike traditional methods like shaving, waxing and plucking. Furthermore, unlike these methods, its heat does not harm surrounding tissues like shaving or plucking would. Ultimately it’s best to wait until all hair has been eliminated before any additional methods such as shaving are used as these may make laser treatment ineffective by thickening up or darkening its density too much for effective removal by this treatment method.
Many individuals worry that hair will start growing back after laser treatment; however, it is important to realize that its return depends on various factors including areas being treated and fluctuating hormone levels. While laser can sometimes provide permanent results, most will require periodic touch up sessions in order to achieve lasting effects.
Those experiencing hair regrowth should keep this in mind; it is a normal part of laser hair removal treatment. Lockdowns have delayed your session, potentially leading to increased regrowth; once clinics open again, treatment can resume so all hair has been effectively eliminated.
Most patients require six to eight laser treatments for permanent hair reduction. Regular maintenance sessions should also be scheduled to prevent hair re-growth in the future. It is essential that you discuss your desired hair reduction goals with your specialist prior to beginning treatment, so they can assist in determining how many sessions are necessary as well as recommend suitable solutions based on individual requirements.
