Laser hair removal sessions should usually take place every four to six weeks in order to give new hair growth time to transition into its active growth phase, making the laser easier to target.
Before each laser session, patients must refrain from waxing, plucking or tweezing the area being treated in order for the laser to target the hair follicles effectively. This ensures the laser can successfully target its targets.
Areas That Can Be Treated
Laser hair removal is an FDA-approved treatment that permanently reduces unwanted facial and body hair, leaving smooth skin with no stubble. Ideal for all gender identities (men, women, trans women and non-binary people alike), laser can treat any region where excessive hair growth occurs.
A trained medical professional will use a small, handheld device against your skin and activate a laser, which vaporizes hair into tiny plumes of smoke with a sulfurous scent, leaving tiny plumes behind as evidence of treatment. While this procedure can be uncomfortable at first, the discomfort often pales in comparison with waxing or shaving methods such as these; treatment usually takes 3-5 sessions before you see results and duration can depend on area being treated (i.e. treating an upper lip may take just minutes; treating both legs may require over an hour).
Underarm and bikini areas tend to respond favorably to laser hair removal due to the darker locks growing there, while arms and legs may require multiple sessions due to having hair that grows at different rates making it hard for laser to target every hair follicle in these parts of the body.
Utilizing the appropriate technique for laser hair removal can reduce its associated discomfort. Your dermatologist may advise applying topical numbing cream prior to starting, and avoid tanning or sun exposure in the weeks prior to your laser session as well as plucking, tweezing or waxing the area being treated.
Once the laser treatment is over, your skin may feel sensitive and puffy for several hours afterward; these symptoms will normally go away within hours or so. A cold compress or bath may help soothe inflammation; for optimal results try using both together for maximum benefit. It’s possible that some treated areas will form an unsightly crust similar to a scab; this should typically not last more than one week.
Hormonal Areas
To ensure optimal results from laser treatment, it is vital to refrain from waxing or plucking hair prior to receiving treatment. Such activities temporarily remove hair follicles and roots, making it harder for laser beams to target them effectively. Shaving can still be done; however, do so within 24 hours after your appointment so that new hairs do not emerge again.
Men and women typically require six to eight laser hair removal treatments for significant reduction of unwanted hair growth. Sessions must be spaced out over several weeks as hair grows in cycles that the laser can only target during its active growth phase. As hormones affect facial and neck hair growth more intensely than other body areas, additional sessions may be necessary here as well.
People suffering from hormonal imbalances such as hirsutism or polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) will also require extra maintenance sessions to control unwanted hair growth. PCOS often causes excess facial and body hair growth that makes women less comfortable with themselves when it comes to feeling confident about their appearances.
Medical professionals may suggest taking oral contraceptives or the medication spironolactone to decrease hormones, and then laser hair removal treatment to treat excess hair growth while improving overall hormonal equilibrium.
At your initial consultation, an experienced laser technician will help determine the most suitable course of treatment based on your unique needs and goals. When selecting a practitioner it’s essential that they have been properly trained and certified – ask for proof of certification, register them on an appropriate database to ensure they have met set standards in terms of training, skill, insurance coverage etc.
At each laser hair removal session, goggles will be worn to protect your eyes while the practitioner may apply topical anesthetic for comfort. Treatment typically feels similar to rubber band snapping against skin; it typically lasts a few seconds at most. We utilize cooling equipment and lasers with large spot sizes in order to minimize discomfort during treatments.
Active Transitioning Areas
Laser hair removal provides permanent solutions to unwanted hair growth, while shaving or depilatory creams only temporarily control its presence. Some parts of your body require multiple sessions in order to get optimal results – particularly areas impacted by hormones such as armpits, thighs and bikini region.
As to the number of sessions required for any given area, this depends on both your skin tone and hair color. In general, lasers used for performing this procedure worked best when they could target unwanted follicles more easily and reduce their growth rates.
Modern laser technology can effectively and safely reduce unwanted hair growth on people of varying skin colors and hair types, making laser treatment an attractive option for almost anyone concerned about excess hair growth on multiple areas of their body.
Most people require six to eight laser hair removal treatments before they achieve optimal results, due to variations in how quickly different areas of their body grow hair and because some follicles are more active than others. Your initial laser hair removal session may involve multiple passes over the same area in order to successfully destroy all follicles in that region of body.
Between laser hair removal treatments, it’s crucial to shave the areas where they will take place. Shaving will enable the laser to more effectively target hair follicles that are actively growing; dormant or shedding phases make laser targeting harder as there may not be enough pigment produced to damage.
Laser hair removal offers an effective, long-term solution for anyone seeking to eliminate excess hair on their legs, arms, back or other areas. It provides more accurate and less painful removal of unwanted hair than traditional methods like shaving and depilatory creams; additionally it’s more permanent than other forms of removal such as electrolysis. Contact The DeRosa Center now to arrange your consultation appointment with board-certified dermatologist Dr. Michele Green at The DeRosa Center!
Time Between Treatments
Laser hair removal involves multiple treatment sessions designed to permanently eliminate unwanted hair from the skin. It works by targeting pigment in hair follicles and destroying it, rendering them incapable of producing new hair growth – ultimately leading to permanent hair reduction. While patients may require multiple sessions before experiencing their desired result, it’s important that all pre and post treatment instructions are strictly adhered to in order to avoid side effects such as hyperpigmentation or scarring as side effects of treatment may arise.
To achieve optimal results, it is recommended that six to eight laser treatment sessions should be undertaken every four to eight weeks for best results. This allows hair follicles to be targeted during their growth/loss cycles so existing as well as newly growing hair can be eliminated during this process.
Waxing, plucking or tweezing hair between treatment sessions is crucial, as this will remove its roots and render laser treatment ineffective. Waxing also exposes surface skin cells to sunlight that can burn or alter their color; waxing exposes more surface cells than usual to sunlight exposure which increases chances of sunburn or alter skin color significantly. Ideally use light colored tanning cream instead as more likely tanned skin will be affected by laser.
Shaving is an acceptable form of hair removal prior to laser treatment, though it should not be done immediately prior as this can increase the chance of burn and irritation. Furthermore, any other form of hair removal such as tweezing or plucking in the area prior to your session could disrupt its effectiveness and may increase risks for burns and irritation.
Before your appointment, it is wise to avoid wearing makeup or applying depilatory cream in the area you plan to treat. Furthermore, dark-colored goggles may provide additional eye protection from laser beams; many doctors will offer them as needed.
To achieve optimal results, consult with a board-certified dermatologist. If laser hair removal is your aim, Boston cosmetic surgeon Dr. Jaimie DeRosa at The DeRosa Center offers consultation and skin assessment appointments at our medical spa! Contact them now!
