Though laser hair removal will destroy hair follicles, it may not be able to destroy all in one treatment session. Any that aren’t destroyed will eventually regrow but should become less noticeable than before.
Hair removal works best on areas that experience rapid hair growth cycles, such as the upper lip. Therefore, treatment plans typically consist of six sessions spaced out over six weeks for maximum effectiveness.
The Hair Growth Cycle
Considering laser hair removal as an option for unwanted body hair? Repeated treatments will likely be necessary in order to achieve satisfactory results, as hair growth occurs naturally in cycles; laser treatment works best when targeting hair follicles that have entered their new-growth stage or “anagen phase.”
To understand why multiple treatments are necessary, it’s essential to learn about the three stages of hair’s life cycle: anagen phase, catagen phase and telogen phase. Hair that is actively growing within anagen stage should be visible above skin surface and attached to dermal papilla (an indentation at the bottom of hair follicle where bulb sits) which provides ideal conditions for laser hair removal since melanin absorbs light from its beam.
At the catagen phase, your hair begins to slowly shrink and lose its blood supply, leaving the anagen phase hairs vulnerable to laser treatments during their next session. Shaving, waxing or plucking helps ensure they remain in catagen phase so laser therapy can more easily target them during your next session.
The telogen phase marks the final stage in your hair’s life cycle. At this point, it no longer grows but doesn’t fall out either; once activated again by its own natural processes it should eventually regrow its place eventually – taking anywhere from days to months depending on your follicle type and individual hair growth pattern. Because telogen hairs do not adhere directly to dermal papilla they cannot be treated by laser treatments.
At your laser treatment sessions, melanin in your hair absorbs light from the laser’s beam, which then transfers heat directly to the follicle and causes its destruction – thus stopping hair growth at that spot. Due to being damaged, however, follicles will enter a resting phase until their body sends a signal for growth again.
The Anagen Phase
At the anagen phase, hairs are actively growing. This stage can be affected by laser treatments and other techniques, including shaving, waxing and tweezing. Laser energy heats and destroys melanin pigment in hair follicles to stop them from producing new growth; you may still notice some new hair growth despite treatment but it will likely appear lighter or thinner.
Professional and at-home laser/IPL hair removal works through selective photothermolysis. Dark melanin pigment in hair absorbs light energy and heats up, heating key areas in the follicle responsible for new growth to destroy them – leading to permanent hair reduction results over multiple sessions because not all anagen phase hairs are present at once.
Once hair enters its catagen phase, its growth stops and starts to reduce in size. At this transitional point between anagen and telogen stages, laser treatments may have difficulty reaching all follicles to cause damage; hence requiring multiple sessions over several weeks in order to ensure all desired area hair are in anagen phase.
Telogen, or resting phase of hair growth cycles, occurs as the final stage. At this time, changes occur within the follicle such as stopping nourishment and detaching its bulb from its protective sheath (stela sheath). Once detached, production halts completely. Reviving anagen phase could take anywhere between one week to over one year for its return.
Laser treatments gradually damage dermal papilla fibroblasts and stem cells in a hair follicle bulge, preventing them from initiating new cycles of growth. Therefore, repeated laser sessions often lead to permanent results; however if treatment stops after just several initial sessions have taken place, hair may eventually start growing back; this phenomenon is known as paradoxical hypertrichosis and more commonly affects people with darker skin types or those of Middle Eastern or Mediterranean origins.
The Catagen Phase
Once the anagen phase ends, a transitional period known as the catagen phase begins. During this phase, hair follicles gradually shrink back down until their base detaches from your blood supply, resting and not producing hair for several months until club hairs release and fall out from your scalp – usually within three months. At this time, any physical methods like plucking or waxing could disturb them enough that they won’t enter anagen again later on.
Laser hair removal utilizes heat energy to destroy club hairs and stop them from growing back, though if a damaged follicle regrows over time. As such, results of treatment vary widely as it’s impossible to target all active growing stages at once.
After receiving laser treatments to a specific area, it’s possible that hair may never return. Even if it does come back, however, chances are good it will appear lighter or thinner due to laser treatment not impacting those hair follicles that have entered their dormant or catagen stages of development.
Be mindful of the fact that hair follicles in anagen at the time of your laser treatment could reenter this stage and begin growing at any point after, even years after, having undergone laser therapy – hence why follow-up or maintenance sessions may be required after initial consultation and assessment; how many maintenance treatments you require will be determined during initial assessment. Furthermore, exposure to sunlight or any forms of UV light could disrupt hair growth cycles – therefore avoidance is advised in order to optimize results.
The Telogen Phase
Laser hair removal uses either a laser or pulsed light instrument to target melanin pigment in hair follicle compartments, stopping its growth. Since melanin stands out against skin tone, laser or light energy can target it without harming nearby tissue; multiple treatments may be required before laser effectively destroys all unwanted follicles that produce unwanted hair growth.
As soon as your hair reaches its maximum length during Anagen, it enters Catagen. In this transitional stage, its follicle shrinks and sheds as pigment fades from its hair shaft. After this short transition period ends, follicles return into Telogen which is considered resting stage.
During this phase, dermal papilla fibroblasts and epithelial stem cells continue to disassemble while the hair follicle remains dormant. A hair follicle can remain in this phase for as much as one year before entering anagen again; during its time here it produces fine and light vellus hairs which might even go undetected by you!
If you have had several sessions of laser hair removal and then start experiencing signs of regrowth, this is perfectly normal; however, it is essential that you understand why this occurs and why regrowth could happen again.
Hair regrowth can often be traced back to an early transition into catagen or telogen phases of hair follicles due to hormonal shifts, pregnancy, birth control pills or any number of factors – making laser treatments difficult and damage inflicted much harder on such hair follicles.
As such, it is wise to avoid plucking or waxing hair before receiving laser therapy as this can disrupt the follicles at critical stages and increase their likelihood of going into cycles. Furthermore, sun exposure or any other hair removal methods should be avoided until all your follicles have fully recovered from treatment.
