Laser hair removal can be an effective way to address unwanted body hair. However, multiple sessions over four to six weeks may be needed in order to see significant results.
Laser treatments tend to work best on light complexions with dark hair because the contrast in pigment allows the laser to target and destroy follicles more effectively. Unfortunately, some individuals report that after laser treatment their hair grows back thicker.
1. Your hair is in the growth phase.
After several sessions of laser hair removal, you should see your hair gradually thin and lighten in color, thanks to the heat from the laser heating up and inhibiting new hair growth for much longer than shaving, waxing or tweezing could. Therefore multiple sessions may be needed for best results; some hair may even return post-laser treatment; however this new growth will usually be lighter and finer than what existed beforehand.
Laser hair removal only targets hair follicles in their anagen stage of growth, meaning some will fall under catagen or transitional stages wherein their bulb separates but still remains attached; targeting them with laser would not be possible at this point.
Laser can still grab hold of living hair during this period, but will be unable to reach and destroy its source within its follicle. That is why it is crucial not to shave, pluck or wax during the 7-30 day post-treatment window; goosebump-like red spots which resemble ingrown hairs may form during this time as your body attempts to move upgrown hairs closer to the surface for natural removal.
While in catagen or transitional phase, hair will enter its resting or telogen phase for resting or shedding and eventual regrow. This period typically lasts several years before hair starts growing back again.
One way to speed up this process is with regular laser treatments for hair removal. Exfoliation may also help, removing dead skin cells that prevent your hair follicles from moving into their anagen phase when you receive another laser treatment session.
2. Your hair is in the telogen phase.
Hairs in the telogen phase don’t appear above your skin like anagen hairs; they don’t grow, and will eventually fall out naturally as part of their natural cycle. You might see strands appearing in your brush or pillow because follicles change shape in preparation for resting period; during this phase they won’t be stimulated by papillae nor targeted with laser energy, meaning no visible hair loss occurs during this stage.
Laser energy used on hair in its telogen phase disrupts its growth process and destroys the follicle, thus stopping further hair production from within and targeting melanin within each strand to effectively remove it. Once treated, these hairs may return later but they’ll be finer and less noticeable than before your treatment began.
Therefore, it’s crucial that your hair removal treatment plan be strictly adhered to. Shaving, plucking or waxing in areas treated can disrupt hair cycle cycles prematurely leading to them entering anagen stage early and becoming problematic for treatment.
Should you notice unwanted regrowth after receiving laser hair removal treatment, don’t be alarmed! This is normal and likely the result of your hairs being in a telogen phase at the time of treatment; provided you visit your clinic regularly thereafter, these hairs should eventually move into active anagen phase and begin growing back out again.
Hair removal results vary significantly from person to person based on various individual factors. For instance, darker or tanned hair may be harder to target with laser treatments due to melanin absorption from its strands which makes penetration harder for laser beams – meaning more treatments may be required in these instances to effectively eliminate unwanted hairs – although this doesn’t indicate failure – just that results will take a bit longer to come about.
3. Your hair is in the resting phase.
Your hair follicles cycle through three distinct phases: anagen, catagen and telogen. Laser treatment works most effectively when your follicles are in their anagen phase; multiple sessions may be necessary to achieve lasting results. Lasers detect and target this phase’s pigment concentration above the skin surface for efficient laser targeting of targeted follicles so as to damage them so they cannot produce new hair, effectively eliminating it from your body and permanently.
Unfortunately, only 20% of your hair is in its anagen phase at any given time, requiring multiple treatments in order to successfully eradicate unwanted hairs.
Hair may begin shedding in the days following laser hair removal treatments; this does not indicate ineffectiveness; rather it indicates that your follicles have entered their telogen phase, where old, damaged strands will be shed so new healthy ones can emerge in their place.
When a follicle enters its telogen phase, its pigment no longer sits directly above the skin’s surface and therefore no longer responds to laser treatment. It will continue growing though and eventually be replaced by new hair in its next growth cycle.
For optimal results, it is crucial that you adhere to your treatment schedule and avoid missing sessions. Any time that an opportunity to treat hairs in their anagen phase passes you by could mean thicker and faster-growing regrowth in subsequent sessions.
Before your laser hair removal treatment appointment, it is wise to refrain from plucking, waxing, or using other hair removal techniques such as plucking. The laser treatment targets follicles which are particularly vulnerable to external influences like hormone production from within the body in order to create hair growth; this is particularly relevant to women suffering from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) with its elevated testosterone and androgen levels that impact growth of their hair follicles.
4. Your hair is in the active phase.
Laser hair removal works best when targeting hair during its anagen stage, visible and easily targetable by laser’s heat energy. At this time, its presence makes the laser’s heat energy much more likely to have an impactful result; hence those wanting to remove unwanted hair require multiple treatments every four to six weeks in order to capture each growth cycle and destroy them completely.
If you skip treatments, the hair follicle can enter either catagen or telogen phases. In catagen phase, hair stops growing and detaches from the dermal papilla that provides nutrients; after some days it shrinks and sheds itself. Up to 80% of hair follicles on our heads may be in catagen or telogen phases at any given time; during these two phases hair is not visible and laser treatments become ineffective.
Follow your treatment plan and return for scheduled sessions as planned, or the hair could shift into its telogen phase and disappear beneath the skin, potentially being ineligible for laser hair removal until moving back into its anagen phase within months or years of reaching that phase again.
At another level, hormonal issues could also play a part in why your hair remains thick post-laser hair removal, like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Women diagnosed with PCOS tend to have higher testosterone and androgen levels that cause excess facial and body hair growth; this condition can be diagnosed and treated through hormone replacement therapy.
Laser hair removal works best for people who have darker hair and light skin because the contrast makes it easier for the laser beam to detect melanin in your follicles and destroy them, and can therefore more quickly locate and destroy melanin-rich follicles. However, its effectiveness might differ for people with dark skin or blonde, gray, or white hair or who take specific medications such as testosterone or birth control pills.
