Laser hair removal utilizes a laser beam to destroy hair follicles and prevent future growth, with most people requiring between four and six sessions for effective removal.
Before receiving laser treatment, avoid applying any products which darken the color of your skin, and shave the area being treated. Also make sure your provider meets set standards for training and skill.
1. You’re not seeing any hair growth
Laser hair removal involves using light and thermal energy to disable your hair follicles and stop them from growing new hair. While this procedure is safe and fast, its results vary depending on each person; factors like laser treatment type used, skin tone/hair color combination and number of treatments all play into how quickly results will appear.
One common reason you might not be seeing results may be related to insufficient preparation for your treatment. On the day of a laser session, it is best to shave down to nearly no hair on the area that’s going to be treated so as to ensure light and thermal energy are being properly absorbed by hair follicles during laser sessions. Furthermore, bleaching or other hair removal methods (plucking, waxing) should not be employed before laser sessions take place.
Missed appointments could also impede progress. Without treatments in anagen phase – where hair grows quickly – hair follicles will stop producing as many hair strands, thus leading to slower hair growth overall and necessitating additional sessions to catch up and reach desired goals.
As with any procedure, it’s crucial that you select a trained practitioner who understands how to operate the laser you will be using correctly. As any incorrect usage can lead to burned skin, finding someone experienced with your procedure is vitally important.
Finally, it may be that your laser treatment is misfiring because it is targeting the wrong hair follicles. While this can be frustrating for some people, patience should be exercised as treatments typically take up to one year or more for most individuals before seeing results.
When laser hair removal doesn’t produce the results that you expect, other options should be explored. But if you remain committed to laser treatment and make regular appointments and maintenance treatments a part of your schedule, laser can truly transform lives.
2. You’re not seeing any regrowth
Laser hair removal uses a beam of laser light to target melanin (the pigment that gives your skin and hair its color) in your hair follicles and heat them, damaging them and stopping future hair growth. It works on all types of hair but especially well on dark, coarse hair.
At laser hair removal sessions, your doctor will press a handheld laser instrument against your skin and use cooling gel or cooling technology at its tip to minimize discomfort and protect your skin. Some clients describe it as feeling like a warm pinprick while others report experiencing slight tingles or snapping sensations during treatments.
Your hair grows in cycles, and during your initial laser therapy sessions, the laser will target hair follicles in their anagen phase – or growing phase. Therefore, multiple treatments will likely be necessary in order to see noticeable results.
Once your laser hair removal course is completed, you should notice a dramatic decrease in hair growth. Any that does reappear may even become thinner, finer and lighter over time.
If after several weeks you are experiencing no improvement, it may be worthwhile consulting a physician. They may be able to ascertain whether or not your excess hair growth is related to hormonal conditions; some women experience excessive body and facial hair due to an imbalance called hirsutism which affects female hormones.
Hormonal issues such as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) can lead to abnormal hair growth in areas that usually don’t produce it, making laser hair removal necessary. Therefore, it is crucial that any issues related to hormones be discussed with your physician prior to beginning this treatment plan.
3. You’re not seeing any reduction
Your results from laser hair removal will depend heavily on your hormone levels and hair cycle, with consistent treatments making all the difference in results over time. If you’re not seeing changes or improvements this could be a telltale sign that your hair follicles have not reached their damaged stage yet and that more treatment sessions should be made over time to ensure successful hair follicle destruction and non-growth. If this is indeed the case for you then continued regimen is necessary!
Laser hair removal works by passing its energy through the surface of your skin and targeting pigment at the base of hair follicles, heating and destroying them, thus inhibiting future hair growth. Depending on your skin type and color of hair, results may become evident within days or weeks following an initial session.
Laser hair removal results can be long-term and even permanent if given enough treatments, though eventually hair will grow back thinner and lighter in color requiring maintenance laser sessions in order to keep skin looking its best.
When choosing a professional for laser hair removal, it’s essential that they possess extensive training in this procedure. This should include knowledge of not only various laser types and how they should be used but also your skin, its reactions, potential side effects and risks. As using the incorrect laser on your skin can cause burns or alter its pigmentation if not chosen with care, so take the time to research their qualifications thoroughly.
After treatment, your skin may feel red, swollen and itchy; this is normal and cold compresses and steroid cream may help relieve these symptoms. In order to promote healing more efficiently and avoid direct sunlight on the treated area for at least six weeks (unless directed otherwise by your physician)
4. You’re not seeing any reduction in hair growth
Laser hair removal is an increasingly popular non-invasive solution to permanently reduce unwanted facial and body hair. This non-surgical, virtually painless procedure involves multiple sessions aimed at damaging hair follicles so they no longer produce new unwanted hairs.
At each laser hair removal session, your doctor will use a hand-held laser instrument to apply thermal energy directly to the targeted area of skin. Depending on its type, this may include cooling devices or gel to soothe any discomfort. After activation of the laser by activation and activating its thermal energy source, thermal energy travels directly down towards hair follicles causing them to stop producing unwanted hairs and thus stop producing more of them altogether.
Your laser hair removal sessions may vary depending on several factors, including your skin tone and hair color as well as how much hair exists in the area targeted for removal. Your physician will discuss these during a consultation appointment.
Avoid picking at, scratching or pulling at the area between laser hair removal sessions in order to maximize results. Indulging in any form of self-hair removal activities – like picking at, scratching or pulling hairs out manually – could potentially hinder results reaching their full potential.
If you have had six to nine sessions and still are not seeing any significant reduction in hair growth, it might be time for a follow-up appointment. This could indicate an irregularity in your hair growth cycle or that treatment has failed to have an impactful result on your locks.
Failure to follow proper preparation protocols could also account for no results with laser hair removal treatments. You should shave the area 1-2 days prior to treatment so that enough pigment is present for the laser to target and destroy each individual follicle. Furthermore, waxing between treatments won’t work, which means the best way to maintain results would be by visiting your provider at regularly recommended intervals.
