Hair growth after laser treatments could be due to various reasons, including that some hair follicles have entered into their telogen phase instead of active growth cycle anagen phase.
Heat from the laser vaporizes hair during its growing stage, but not all follicles reach this phase at once; hence multiple treatments over time are necessary to completely eradicate hair growth.
Causes
Laser hair removal works best when all hair follicles are completely destroyed; however, this may not always be possible in one treatment session – particularly on larger body areas that may be hard to access. As such, some regrowth may occur but this is easily treated again with touch up treatments usually performed bi-annually or annually depending on individual preferences.
One reason that laser therapy speeds up hair growth is due to hair follicles being in an active growth phase. Follicles typically grow through three cycles: anagen, catagen and telogen; with anagen being its active growth stage and easily identifiable due to pigmentation and texture characteristics.
At this phase, hair follicles contain extra melanin (pigment). A laser beam can target this melanin to disable and stop growth of any newly sprouted follicles; however, once in the telogen phase a hair may still grow back despite treatments from laser hair removal devices; therefore it’s essential to schedule regular laser hair removal sessions for maximum effect.
Poor lifestyle choices such as excessive stress, inadequate rest, and eating high-sugar processed food products can increase unwanted hair growth. Hormones control how fast your hair grows; when these hormones are balanced it’s much simpler to manage this process.
Laser hair removal involves having a hand-held device pressed against your skin with a laser beam passing through, warming up the skin. There is a cooling device or gel on the tip of this laser instrument to ease any pain experienced and protect from side effects; many describe the sensation as feeling like warm pinpricks or little rubber bands flicking their skin.
Symptoms
Laser hair removal works by applying heat directly into the hair follicle, disrupting its function and stopping new hairs from growing back. It also damages pigment in the follicle so it cannot produce different colored strands in future treatments. Unfortunately, one treatment won’t provide lasting results, but many find that multiple sessions help deter further hair growth for longer-term success.
After receiving laser hair removal treatment, unwanted hair may begin to shed in the days that follow a session. This is a sure sign that the laser has targeted and damaged each individual hair follicle successfully; full shed time may take 14 days; stubble will eventually fade to become lighter-textured hairs that won’t require further treatments in future.
Some individuals may notice their hair growing back shortly after receiving laser hair removal treatment, due to the nature of laser treatment only targeting active (anagen cycle) hairs and not resting (telogen cycle) ones; thus they continue to grow slowly beneath their skin without being affected by laser. Most individuals require between four and six sessions in order to target all anagen cycle hairs effectively for maximum effectiveness.
Repeated hair growth can often be the result of hormonal fluctuations and must be addressed through medication or diet changes. Women living with polycystic ovarian syndrome may also experience hormonal shifts that increase unwanted hair growth.
Remember that hair grows in cycles and that laser treatment only affects the germ cells of follicles; when hair does return it will likely be finer in texture and lighter in color than before, while some individuals may require regular maintenance sessions in order to maintain results.
Treatment
Laser hair removal utilizes a laser beam to destroy hair follicles, inhibiting new hair growth. Your doctor will use either a handheld laser instrument against your skin or apply cool gel as protection; both methods produce slight discomfort similar to warm pinpricking sensations, though you might experience additional cold sensations coming from either of the instruments used during treatment.
Your body will gradually shed damaged follicles over a seven to 30-day period, giving rise to redness or bumps on your skin that indicate when hair follicles have been released from their host body.
Accelerate the process by gently exfoliating with a loofah or washcloth at least three times every week, but avoid plucking, waxing, shaving or using other forms of hair removal in the treated area; these methods could result in damaging healthy follicles that remain behind and require further laser treatments when hormone levels shift or hair reappears. You should also continue coming in for laser sessions for any new growth that resurfaces, particularly during hormonal changes.
Laser treatments often come as a surprise to patients as many expect their unwanted hair to vanish instantly after treatment. Unfortunately, this is not the case as laser only kills hair follicles in their anagen phase; typically only 15% are in this state during a treatment session.
After receiving laser damage, your hair follicles should eventually return to their regular cycle and produce new growth – although it may be thinner or lighter than before. This is perfectly normal given how sensitive they were before. But as soon as these damaged follicles recover they could begin growing new hair again if stimulated by your environment or medications you take.
Some hair growth after laser is permanent, depending on multiple factors including hormone levels and prescription medication you take. You can still achieve lasting results if you complete all treatment sessions and continue coming in for maintenance sessions 2-4 times annually.
Prevention
Laser hair removal offers permanent solutions for eliminating unwanted body hair. It eliminates the need to shave, wax or pluck each individual follicle individually – an attractive feature for people dealing with unwanted facial and body hair. Unfortunately, many patients find that their hair grows back faster and thicker after laser treatment than anticipated; this condition known as paradoxical hypertrichosis could be responsible, or possibly an imbalance in hormones.
Laser therapy involves using a laser beam to destroy the dermal papilla, which is responsible for hair growth. This area under the skin where hairs emerge is known as a hair follicle; laser treatment targets hair follicles in their anagen phase of growth – but only about 20% are ever in this state at any one time; multiple sessions will likely be needed before permanent reduction takes effect. At Urban Company we use US FDA-approved laser machines equipped with ice cool technology in order to achieve lasting reduction of hair follicles permanently.
Some treatments can result in permanent hair loss, although this is rare. If your hair seems to be growing back faster and thicker than ever, speak with your physician and discuss this possibility – they may suggest additional sessions or alternative hair removal methods like electrolysis which works on individual hairs rather than large areas such as face or body.
If your physician suspects you of hormonal imbalance, they may suggest medications or lifestyle modifications to bring equilibrium back. Such options could include taking Metformin or following a low carb diet – both are good ways of keeping hormones balanced so hair growth shouldn’t become a major problem and you shouldn’t experience sudden hair regrowth after laser.
Problematic hair growth can be difficult for many, particularly when traditional methods like shaving, waxing or plucking don’t offer lasting solutions. Some individuals have found relief by having regular laser treatment touchups; often recommended after multiple sessions; as this helps stop hair growth cycles from getting out of hand.
