Many people anticipate that after receiving laser hair removal treatments, their unwanted hair will magically fall out automatically the following morning. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.
Laser treatments only affect hair follicles that are in the active or anagen phase, and will often grow back thinner and lighter than before.
Redness
Laser hair removal often leaves its patients with reddened skin due to the heat produced by the laser being directed at hair follicles, creating what feels like sunburn at first. As treatments progress, however, redness usually subsides. Depending on your skin type and volume of treated hairs, redness may last anywhere between 24 hours to a few days after laser therapy has finished.
Avoid shaving, waxing and plucking after laser treatments in order to stop reversion back to its initial state. Such actions may remove hair follicles targeted by the laser and cause new growth with different textures or colors – which means following your treatment plan carefully can ensure the most successful outcomes.
Once your laser treatment has taken effect, unwanted hair should begin to shed off gradually. This is because any active anagen or growth phase follicles have been killed off by the laser and have entered catagen or resting phase; once they start growing back again they should likely be lighter and finer than before.
Many individuals undergoing laser hair removal require multiple sessions before seeing long-lasting results from this method of hair removal. This is because each time, only a certain percentage of anagen phase hair follicles can be destroyed at one time by the laser; remaining ones need to be “treated” again – hence why so many sessions must pass for satisfactory outcomes to appear.
Be mindful that even though the hair seems to have completely vanished, it may still be resting or in its telogen stage beneath the skin. To avoid missing any potential regrowth periods and appointments at your clinic, it is crucial that you adhere to your treatment schedule and visit on time for your appointments. Missed appointments could result in your unwanted hair growing back heavier and less noticeable than before receiving laser treatments.
Bumps
Hair growth takes place in cycles, with resting-phase follicles growing more slowly than active-phase ones. Therefore, new, healthy hair may take longer to appear following a laser treatment than it would for existing ones to regrow after shaving or waxing.
Hair that grows back after laser treatments typically reverts to finer and lighter textures than before. Some individuals require multiple sessions in order to achieve the desired results, usually spaced out over multiple weeks or months to allow the laser to target and destroy hair follicles as they come into the active phase of their growth cycle.
After laser treatment, some patients may notice red bumps that resemble ingrown hairs appearing on their skin. This is a completely normal side effect and nothing to worry about; these bumps are caused by your body pushing hair up towards the surface so it can be extracted more efficiently. Avoid picking at or squeezing them as doing so could further deteriorate your skin.
Though these bumps may be alarming, they should clear up within several days. In the meantime, it’s wise to refrain from shaving and waxing the affected area as much as possible and moisturize regularly with moisturizers that contain high SPF protection for maximum skin protection.
Shedding is a common side effect of laser treatment, particularly after initiating treatment sessions. Shedding will appear as new hair growth for several days to weeks following laser treatments; to maximize efficacy of these sessions it is best to refrain from picking at or plucking out these sloughed-off hairs with tweezers or waxes as this may disrupt the resting phase of your follicle and prevent laser from fully eliminating unwanted hair follicles.
Once you’ve had several laser treatment sessions, both hair shedding and new growth should stop. Some individuals may require periodic touchup treatments depending on factors like their hormone levels or prescribed medications.
Ingrown Hairs
Hair growth can be an ongoing source of frustration for many individuals, especially in specific body areas. Hair removal methods like shaving, waxing and plucking may be time consuming and irritating to the skin – yet those looking for long-term solutions to unwanted hair growth may find laser therapy an attractive solution.
Laser treatments for hair removal are generally safe and effective, however there are a few factors to be mindful of when scheduling an appointment. One issue related to laser hair removal treatments is their potential to cause ingrown hairs due to disrupted hair follicles causing changes to how the hairs grow back out, pushing hairs into your skin rather than up through it, potentially trapping them beneath its surface and leading to ingrowns.
Ingrown hairs occur when a hair becomes lodged beneath the skin and becomes trapped, typically appearing in areas with coarser, thicker locks like the face, neck or bikini area. Both men and women can experience ingrown hairs but it is more prevalent among men due to hormonal fluctuations affecting facial hair growth; shaving or trimming facial hair also contributes significantly to ingrown hair formation.
As a general guideline, it is wise to avoid pulling or plucking ingrown hairs yourself as this could cause infection and other skin conditions. Instead, visit a dermatologist and have them professionally removed.
Gentle exfoliation after laser hair removal can help avoid ingrown hairs. An exfoliator will help clear away dead skin cells that clog hair follicles, so daily exfoliation should be used – loofahs or washcloths soaked in warm water may be especially helpful for people who have sensitive skin.
Concerned about ingrown hairs after laser hair removal? For an assessment and recommendations for treatment to eliminate ingrowns and reduce hair growth permanently in their areas, visit Le Parlour Laser Spa NYC in New York City for a consultation session. A trained technician can assess your problem and suggest the most effective course of action to address ingrowns while simultaneously permanently decreasing growth in treated areas.
Thinning
Laser hair removal should be seen as semi-permanent; therefore, not every single hair follicle will be destroyed during treatment and some will occasionally grow back afterward. Although this may seem frustrating at times, remembering this part of the process should help ease your mind.
Why will some hairs grow back after laser sessions? Because not all the follicles were in anagen phase at the same time; only a certain percentage will ever be there at any one time, so regular sessions give you the best chance at damaging enough of these follicles for them not to grow back hair again.
As soon as your hair begins to regrow, it may appear lighter and thinner than before treatment, due to being unharmed by laser light but growing back at a slower rate than normal. While this can be disconcerting at first glance, this bodes well because it indicates you are on track with your treatment series.
Rather, leave them to naturally shed within 7-30 days – this may cause redness or bumps, but is actually an indicator that your body is pushing hairs toward the surface for removal rather than growing new hairs. Shave or wax them gently instead to help speed up their shedding process more quickly while speeding up their return – while avoid picking or tweezing any of those hairs if any emerge more rapidly than expected. This may speed up their removal more rapidly but be careful to leave alone those you pick at. This way they come out more quickly rather than trying to pull or pull on them more frequently as this can speeding their return more quickly! This can speed up their return but avoid picking or picking at them; leave them alone so they shed over 7-30 days as your body pushes them back down instead of growing new ones instead. Redness and bumps appear as signs that your body pushes those hairs back out rather than growing new ones; leave these alone and allow them to shed on their own as your body pushes them back out rather than growing new ones! This may cause redness or bumps, but that means it means your body pushing the hairs towards surface to be shed naturally over time rather than growing new.
Follow your treatment plan and attend any follow-up sessions that your practitioner suggests. Depending on the location of the treated area, up to 8 laser treatments may be needed in order to achieve results; following that, regular maintenance check-ins with your practitioner every 6-12 months depending on your hair growth cycle will ensure smooth results that last! This way, you can continue enjoying life hair-free.
