Laser hair removal can be an incredible solution to rid yourself of unsightly body hair. Unfortunately, results from laser treatments can take time to appear.
Notably, successful laser hair removal requires multiple sessions for optimal results. The goal is to damage hair follicles in order to stop their production of unwanted hair growth.
1. Hair is not in the growth phase
Doctors conducting laser hair removal use a handheld instrument with a cooling device attached at its tip or cool gel on it to protect and minimize side effects. A laser beam passes through your skin into your hair follicles, where its heat damages their ability to produce hair growth causing your unwanted strands to shed off gradually and not regrow – leading to long-term reduction of unwanted hair growth and no chance of future regrowth.
Your hair grows through an organic cycle with different stages. The anagen phase, when your follicle absorbs light from sources like sunlight, encourages hair growth. Laser treatment destroys extra melanin production to stop this growth cycle; and then enters catagen phase where its hair thins out and lightens in color.
As your follicles undergo these stages, they become less effective at absorbing light and may not produce as many thicker and darker hair follicles – meaning multiple visits will likely be needed before experiencing lasting results.
Shedding is a natural part of this process and should be seen as an indicator that your treatment is working. You should avoid shaving, waxing, tweezing, plucking or picking at hair after having treatment as this can cause it to start growing in an opposite direction and negate its beneficial effect.
Your hair may also begin to thin and lighten over time as dark, thick locks shed after laser treatments are performed, making way for thinner, lighter locks. This phenomenon is due to laser treatments stripping away thick locks first before thin, light ones grow back in their place.
Shedding may take several sessions of laser hair removal to achieve permanent results, or you can try exfoliation as a faster alternative method for speedier results. Exfoliating can remove dead skin cells that might be blocking pores, while applying pressure against remaining hairs attached to their follicles.
2. Hair is in the resting phase
Laser hair removal works by providing a safe and effective treatment that damages hair follicles to stop their production of new hair growth in the future. This noninvasive solution to unwanted body hair – like armpit or pubic area hair growth – eliminates the need to wax, shave or tweeze; making laser treatment ideal for both men and women looking to reduce unwanted body hair on arms, legs, chest or pubic areas. Results typically last years depending on individual hair growth cycle and treatment schedule.
However, it’s important to realize that laser hair removal treatments aren’t permanent and that you may require regular maintenance sessions in order to enjoy semi-permanent results. This is due to your hair follicles being only in anagen phase at any given time and only around 15% can be targeted and disabled during any one session.
After laser treatments, you might notice some hair fall-out following the catagen phase. At this point in the cycle, hair follicles begin to shrink and break free of their dermal papilla feeders that provided them with nutrients; at the same time, this stage also sees your body shed the anagen-phase grown hair that was produced over the previous stage; it may show up as bits on clothes, pillows or shower walls!
Once a follicle has disengaged from its root, it enters what’s known as the telogen phase; otherwise known as resting stage. This phase is the least productive and most dormant part of its cycle and may prove disappointing to patients who wish for quick hair loss.
Reasons people expect their hair to fall out after laser hair removal treatments are due to ignorance about the three stages in its lifecycle. Understanding these cycles will give you a greater insight into why some unwanted hair doesn’t go away after each laser session.
3. Hair is in the telogen phase
Hair follicles cycle through three distinct phases: growth (anagen), degradation (catagen), and resting (telogen). On average, 90-95% of your hair should be in anagen phase while only about 5-6% has entered telogen stage; when an anagen hair transitions into telogen phase it sheds to make room for new growth – this process typically happens approximately 100-150 hairs daily as part of natural growth process.
Telogen effluvium occurs when there is an abrupt change to the normal hair cycle, prompting large numbers of follicles to prematurely enter telogen and lead to dramatic hair shedding. The causes can range from illness, hormonal fluctuations, drug side effects or other factors; dramatic hair shedding occurs as a result.
Telogen effluvium may appear abruptly. For example, some patients taking anti-cancer drugs can start to lose their hair quickly due to how quickly these drugs work – before anagen phase hair follicles have had time to reach maturity before hair loss occurs – known as immediate anagen release telogen effluvium.
Chronic Telogen Efluvium is another form of telogen effluvium with a slower onset and duration, such as stress or thyroid conditions; it has also been linked to other health conditions like Lupus Rheumatoid Arthritis Psoriasis etc.
If you notice sudden and persistent telogen effluvium symptoms, it’s essential that you visit your physician as soon as possible. A doctor can test for health conditions associated with telogen effluvium, prescribe medication that may help restore hair to its former glory and help recover your hairline. In most cases, telogen effluvium will resolve itself three months post event trigger, however in certain people their follicles may become hypersensitive to multiple triggers and experience chronic telogen effluvium that won’t respond to medication treatment options; in these instances we have dermatologists available who can recommend treatment that may help alleviate their condition.
4. Hair is in the anagen phase
At this stage of hair growth, anagen hairs can be seen actively growing above your skin. At this time, laser treatments work most efficiently as they can see pigment in each individual follicle and destroy it to stop further regrowth.
Following the anagen phase comes catagen, which typically lasts approximately one week before transitioning into telogen. During catagen, hair cells begin to die off as the follicle recedes into resting stage telogen and laser hair removal cannot be used on hairs during this period.
As soon as a hair enters its telogen phase, its growth or development ceases, so it falls out naturally without help from laser. You can recognize when hairs have entered this stage by their stelar appearance and absence of inner or outer root sheaths. Low-intensity light therapy (LLLT), however, can shorten it by stimulating hair follicles so more of their cycle remains spent in anagen phase.
As can be seen, the hair growth cycle is an intricate one which depends on age and hormone levels to develop properly. Hair can be in different stages at any given moment; multiple treatments may be necessary in order to eradicate unwanted hair completely from an area. Schedule regular laser hair removal appointments so that all unwanted hair is treated at its peak time of growth cycle. In between treatments, we advise using aloe vera gel to soften and soothe skin to avoid irritations such as sunburned spots. Please be aware that picking, plucking or squeezing hairs is not recommended as this could force them back into their anagen phase too quickly. Furthermore, excessive exfoliating may cause premature shedding from telogen phase leading to patchy or uneven-looking locks.
