Laser hair removal offers an effective alternative to shaving, waxing or plucking for longer-lasting hair removal. When hair does regrowth it often comes back finer and lighter colored than before laser treatments began.
Laser hair removal should not be seen as permanent; rather it should be seen as semi-permanent; meaning some regrowth may occur after treatment.
How Does Laser Hair Removal Work?
Laser hair removal is an increasingly popular cosmetic procedure that safely and effectively rids unwanted body hair. It is generally safe and effective, permanently decreasing hair density in some areas while completely eliminating it in others; while also significantly reducing regrowth. Most likely, any remaining hair will grow back lighter-colored and finer in texture than before treatment began.
Before beginning laser hair removal sessions, skin is carefully shaved or waxed before an assistant applies topical anesthetic for decreased discomfort. Once activated, a handheld device presses against the skin and activates a laser; its heat travels down each hair shaft and destroys its dermal papilla source to destroy them permanently.
Laser energy that penetrates both skin and hair follicle is converted to heat by melanin pigment, effectively killing it without harming surrounding tissue or damaging nearby organs. Following treatment, hair follicles enter catagen phase: an intermediate period during which they shrink down and detach from dermal papilla before eventually moving into their resting stage of telogen resting phase.
Does It Damage the Hair Follicle?
There are a few factors that could impede the effectiveness of laser hair removal treatments, including hormone levels. If a woman suffers from an imbalance that leads to excessive body or facial hair growth, laser treatment may not work at all. Also important are medications which could impact blood supply and prompt regrowth – this is why it’s crucial that before undertaking permanent laser hair removal treatments it consults a physician first for best results.
Laser hair removal treatments usually require two to six sessions for optimal results, as hair grows in cycles. Each session will target hair that are currently in anagen (growth) cycle; at some point during treatment sessions, those hairs enter catagen or telogen phase and halt their growth; this helps stop it from coming back, though it could take up to a year before new ones appear again.
For people seeking permanent results, doctors may advise other methods, such as electrolysis that can permanently destroy hair follicles. Should some hair regrow after laser treatment, these new sprouts typically appear lighter and thinner than before.
Does It Damage the Skin?
Laser hair removal works by targeting the pigment (melanin) present in unwanted hair follicles and using laser light to heat them until their destruction, leaving surrounding tissues undamaged – making this more permanent solution than shaving, waxing or plucking.
However, this treatment isn’t 100 percent successful and regrowth may occur after weeks or months – usually finer and lighter in color than before treatment began.
Laser hair removal success depends on a number of variables, such as your skin complexion & hair color, hormone levels, age and commitment to post-treatment maintenance.
For optimal results, it’s essential that you avoid using sunless skin creams and other hair removal methods in the days leading up to your laser session. Furthermore, shaving the area where laser treatment will take place should also be avoided.
Regular sessions for laser hair removal can help achieve optimal results, with most people needing anywhere between 5-8 sessions before being truly free from hair. Since hair grows at different rates and requires multiple treatments to target follicles in anagen phase.
Does It Damage the Blood Supply?
Hair grows through three distinct stages; Anagen (active growth), Catagen (growth transition), and Telogen (resting). During Anagen, blood is fed directly into each follicle at its base. When exposed to laser heat during Anagen, this supply can be damaged and destroyed as part of this treatment, leaving behind damaged follicles which cannot grow hair anymore and eventually fall out, leaving an area without hair for up to one week after treatment has taken place. Plucking or waxing treatments could hinder this process and should be avoided during this period as these could hinder its success; such treatments must not disrupt it by picking or waxing treatments as part of this treatment’s success!
Some individuals require additional laser sessions than others in order to achieve their desired results. This is because different skin and hair colors absorb light differently. Hairs with dark pigment/melanin respond particularly well when treated by laser therapy as this allows it to target them effectively.
At all costs, it is vital that you adhere to your treatment plan and do not forgo or reduce laser treatments as this could make achieving optimal results more challenging and might take longer than if you had followed the recommended course of care.
Does It Damage the Hormones?
Laser hair removal requires pressing a hand-held device against your skin surface. Some devices feature cooling mechanisms or gel at their tip that protect from heat damage.
Lasers emit light beams that pass through your skin and are directed at melanin deposits in hair follicles, absorbing energy from the laser and damaging follicles to stop future hair growth.
Keep to the recommended timeframes for laser sessions to achieve maximum effectiveness, as too long of an interval can hinder results. The laser’s effectiveness relies on hair being in its anagen phase of growth cycle; otherwise, dormant or catagen phase hair will not be affected by it.
No matter that laser treatments may lead to some regrowth of unwanted hair, their effects are typically much longer-lasting than shaving, waxing, or tweezing alone. Furthermore, any new growth that does emerge will usually be lighter and finer. If any new hair appears following treatment it is recommended that a touch-up session be scheduled ASAP with your provider to maintain long-term results and address hormonal fluctuations that might contribute to hair regrowth.
Does It Damage the Hair Cells?
Laser hair removal works by emitting safe light energy waves into areas where unwanted hair is growing, targeting melanin-rich follicles with heat from laser beams that damage their melanin pigment and thus inhibit further hair follicle development. As a result, no new hair can grow from these damaged follicles – eliminating hair growth altogether!
To prevent damage to surrounding skin, it is shaved prior to treatment, and afterword, broad spectrum sunscreen with SPF 45+ should be worn – you may experience some degree of sunburn for two to 24 hours afterward.
For optimal results, it is recommended that for four weeks prior to treatment you refrain from tanning, using sunless skin creams, waxing or plucking the area and wear protective eyewear to shield yourself from laser light. During your session you will also wear eye protection to shield from laser light exposure.
At first, laser hair removal will cause only temporary discomfort similar to when someone snaps a rubber band against your skin. Your technician will apply topical anesthetic or numbing gel before treating the area with laser light; treatment for smaller areas could take as little as minutes while treatments on larger ones such as your back or chest can last up to an hour or more.
Does It Damage the Melanin?
Laser treatments differ significantly from shaving, waxing and other hair removal methods in that they do not leave your skin discolored afterward. While melanin in hair follicles is damaged by heat from laser light, this does not harm surrounding tissues as the laser only targets pigment – not blood supply or hormones.
Laser treatment can be used to address both dark and light hair as well as any skin complexion; though some individuals may need additional sessions than others. Results tend to be best seen among patients who have both dark hair and light skin as the contrast in pigment helps the laser target and travel deeper into each hair follicle more efficiently.
The number of sessions needed will depend on each individual, but most will experience an immediate decrease in both rate and thickness of hair growth – some even experiencing permanent cessation!
Adherence to recommended time frames between treatments sessions is of vital importance, since failing to do so could result in hairs growing out of anagen phase and therefore not being targeted by laser. Furthermore, it’s crucial that any plucking, waxing or electrolysis treatments in the area being treated for at least three or four weeks prior to commencing sessions.
