Laser hair removal typically takes multiple sessions before seeing its full benefits, so it is wise to avoid methods which pull out hair at its roots such as tweezing and waxing.
Your doctor will press a handheld laser instrument against your skin during your session, sending its beam into the hair follicle and destroying it with laser energy.
It’s normal
Many people believe that hair should start falling out immediately following laser removal; however, this is not necessarily the case. Hair grows in cycles, with laser light only targeting anagen-phase follicles at any one time. To get optimal results from laser treatments over several sessions spaced out over several months – particularly important during those initial few sessions when anagen hairs may most be affected by it.
At a laser treatment session, your physician will press a hand-held laser instrument against your skin and activate it. For your comfort, the tip may include cooling devices or gel to protect and soothe discomfort during treatment. While you might experience something like pinpricking sensation, usually this won’t be painful. Some patients also report experiencing redness and swelling following treatment; your physician can apply topical anesthetic to alleviate any potential discomfort afterward.
Laser light passes through your skin to damage cells in hair follicles and cause them to enter a resting cycle, eventually shedding its hairs altogether. However, not all hair follicles will enter this cycle at once so some may grow back later on.
Before and after receiving laser hair removal treatments, it is vital that you refrain from waxing, tweezing, and plucking unwanted hairs. Follicles take several weeks to produce hair that can be targeted by laser light; trying to get rid of unwanted hair before it has produced its full potential will not only bring inferior results, but could harm your skin as well.
Once hair follicles enter the anagen cycle, they will gradually shed over a 7-30 day period. This process may cause redness and bumps on your skin that appear similar to ingrown hairs; but in reality this is simply your body flushing out dead hairs. To speed this process along you can help by gently exfoliating this area.
Hair that does reappear after treatment typically grows back finer and lighter in color due to having had old dark locks cut away while new, lighter follicles produce new light-colored locks. To maintain light and fine hair indefinitely, maintenance laser treatments could be useful.
It’s not normal
Laser hair removal requires the doctor pressing a hand-held device against your skin that emits a beam of light and heat, damaging hair follicles while inhibiting their growth. A cooling device or gel may be used to protect skin and minimize side effects while an anesthetic topical spray will also be administered for comfort purposes.
After receiving laser therapy, it’s normal for some of your hair to shed immediately following treatment, since its follicles in their anagen phase have responded well to its heat. Other hairs in catagen phase don’t respond as strongly and naturally shed over a seven to 30-day period before any remaining hair is shed naturally by your body – often appearing like stubble or blackheads and appearing normal.
After initial shedding, some hairs will remain in the anagen phase while others transition into the telogen phase. Hair in its anagen phase can easily be treated by laser treatment while those in its telogen phase don’t respond as readily and remain hidden beneath your skin’s surface.
Once your first treatment, the remaining hair follicles will move into the anagen phase and be more susceptible to the laser’s heat, leading to more hair shedding, as it takes multiple sessions for all your follicles to be destroyed. Therefore, it is crucial that you follow your treatment plan so as to not miss any cycles that occur over time.
Increasing exfoliation will speed up the shedding process and help your body shed old hair it no longer requires. Shaving or trimming can also be helpful, though be careful not to damage newly disrupted anagen hairs as this could lead to new, unwanted growths forming in areas being treated – don’t pluck or wax these areas!
It’s not permanent
Laser hair removal should not be treated as permanent. While it will kill most active follicles in a treatment area, some will remain active and require maintenance sessions every few months in order to see lasting results. When hair regrows from laser treatment sessions it typically grows finer and lighter than before – this results in longer lasting effects!
Hair growth is a natural part of our bodies’ processes and laser hair removal can only target hair follicles that are actively growing at the time of treatment. Therefore, many individuals require multiple laser sessions in order to ensure that they reach an effective growth phase for this procedure.
Hormonal changes and medication can all play a part in how quickly hair grows back following laser hair removal treatments, so follow-up sessions may be required as well as using sunscreen when venturing outside. Laser light concentrates its light solely on targeting dark pigmented follicles; any light red or brown hues on them won’t be targeted by laser – making follow-up treatments necessary and using sunscreen essential.
The catagen phase of hair growth cycle is known as the growth phase. At this point, new roots develop from within and move upward towards the skin surface, becoming visible when someone has a suntan. Because laser cannot target hair in this phase, some will naturally fall out at this time.
Final phase of hair growth cycle is the telogen phase. At this time, hair begins to shed from its follicle, often appearing on the surface of skin when falling out. Resist any urges to pull or pluck them out as this stage cannot be repeated again!
It’s not dangerous
Laser hair removal can be a safe solution for most, though not everyone. When seeking laser treatments it’s essential that a qualified laser technician in a clinic with licensed health care professionals be present during treatment sessions to minimize side effects and ensure correct hair removal sessions are carried out without scarring or discoloration in treated areas of skin – should there be any issues post treatment contact either the practitioner who provided your sessions or your GP as soon as possible.
Hairs that do not fall out after laser hair removal are still in the anagen phase of their growth cycle and therefore vulnerable to its effects. To speed up this shedding process, rub or scrub the area, instead of tweezing or waxing hairs (which can remove them from their follicles but can also lead to redness or bumps on your skin).
Scrubbing, picking and plucking hairs should also be avoided to protect the skin and disrupt the anagen stage of hair’s growth cycle, thus slowing or stopping the shedding process. Furthermore, depilatory creams or shaving areas that have been treated with laser should also be avoided as these techniques could pull hairs out of follicles causing skin irritation and making laser treatments less effective over time.
Rather than wait for natural hair loss, use cortisone creams on any red areas to reduce inflammation and swelling. Also, it’s essential to moisturize regularly so as to keep skin hydrated and healthy.
Laser hair removal does not employ ionizing radiation like that used in an MRI or CT scan, which can damage cells and increase your risk for cancer. Instead, its nonionizing nature means it won’t harm cells or increase cancer risks – though it may leave your skin pink for several days post treatment.
