Laser hair removal is a fast and relatively pain-free solution, using pulses of heated light to damage hair follicles. Some experience the sensation as being likened to stings from hot rubber bands snapping against their skin.
Laser treatments are most effective when hair is in its active growth cycle (Anagen). Although laser therapy can also be used on hair in its resting phase (Telogen), its effects will likely be less efficient.
Hair Growth Cycles
Laser treatments offer permanent solutions for hair growth reduction; however, the process requires multiple sessions for effectiveness. Your physician will use a hand-held laser instrument covered in cool gel to press against your skin while targeting hair follicles to stop them producing new strands of hair growth. After your session it is important that no picking or other means are used to disrupt this natural cycle – this may interfere with how effectively the laser beam passes through and targets them to stop producing new ones!
Your hair grows in three stages known as the anagen, catagen and telogen cycle. However, only 15% of hair follicles at any given time are in anagen stage, and this is when laser treatments work best. Other methods like shaving, waxing and tweezing only remove surface hair follicles without touching underneath ones that could potentially be affected.
Importantly, it’s also essential to realize that hair grows back at different rates depending on your body’s hormonal levels and prescription medications. These factors may cause hairs to enter anagen or telogen phase prematurely or remain in catagen phase longer than expected – leaving an appearance of uncontrolled hair growth after laser treatment failed.
As your body’s natural shedding process can help eliminate these excess hairs, doctors typically suggest exfoliating regularly to accelerate this process and facilitate hair shedding. Be wary of using harsh scrubs as these may damage your skin and interfere with the process.
Additionally, it’s essential that you abide by your treatment plan and come in for regular appointments. Prolonging time between hair cycles could cause your follicles to miss anagen phase and remain hidden beneath skin surface resulting in new unwanted hair growth.
Telogen Phase
The telogen phase of hair growth occurs approximately every three to four months and lasts about three to four months after completion of anagen phase, when completed hairs fall out. This natural process helps ensure healthy scalp because each lost hair will eventually be replaced by new, growing ones – in fact, an individual typically loses approximately 100 hairs every day!
Telogen effluvium occurs when anagen hair growth slows significantly and more follicles enter telogen phase than usual, leading to greater hair shedding and possible thinning patches on the scalp.
Telogen effluvium differs from other forms of hair loss in that its symptoms don’t result in receding hairlines; rather, its thinned out spots appear fuller due to an even distribution of thinning across the entire scalp, making it harder for patients to identify telogen effluvium as the source of their issues.
Doctors can diagnose this condition through an easy scalp test. They’ll gently tug on 40-60 strands of your hair and see how many can be pulled out easily; if more than two or three hairs come loose it’s likely you have telogen effluvium; these hairs typically feature white bulbs at their root ends which provide additional evidence of this.
Doctors can diagnose telogen effluvium by inspecting shed hairs shed as a result of it. Most shed hairs due to telogen effluvium will have clubbed-shaped tips with white colors, while microscopic examination of these same hairs will reveal their unique DNA signatures; while not every type of hair may be suitable for such analyses, physicians often use it to confirm diagnosis in most cases; this way they can understand why you’re losing hair and treat its root cause more effectively.
Damaged Follicles
Hair follicles that have been damaged may no longer shed as expected, which is why it’s crucial to see a qualified technician for laser hair removal. A skilled technician should be able to determine whether your damage is temporary or permanent, including factors like improper treatments and health conditions that affect hair growth; permanent damage would prevent future growth from taking place and must be dealt with immediately or your follicles will no longer produce hair again.
Hair follicles can become damaged from being exposed to heat from laser treatments, medication that you take, sun exposure or other external sources. Most damaged follicles can be restored back to their normal state with another treatment session.
If you experience permanent loss of hair growth, consulting with your physician to conduct a scalp biopsy can confirm it and suggest further testing or treatments options as required.
Individual body chemistry varies considerably and as such may take four or six sessions of laser hair removal in order to achieve desired results.
As part of your treatment, it is essential to refrain from shaving or any other methods of hair removal in the area that will be addressed by laser therapy. Furthermore, be wary of plucking, threading or tweezing any existing hair as this could interfere with its effectiveness and potentially cause additional growth elsewhere on your skin.
Make sure to stay away from sunless skin creams as these can darken the surface of your skin and make laser treatments harder to penetrate the surface of the skin. Furthermore, when going outside it’s wise to wear sunblock with an SPF rating greater than 15 to protect the areas that have been treated.
Hairs that are in the anagen phase usually shed within five-14 days post treatment, though they may continue to shed for weeks afterwards. Rubbing the treatment area can speed this up and encourage dead hairs to shed faster; pulling hairs by force may disrupt their natural cycle and stimulate them back to start growing back again.
Regrowth
Laser hair removal can effectively treat hair growth by targeting its pigmentation. When attending your appointment, your physician will use a handheld laser instrument against your skin while applying cooling gel or device to avoid irritation and help the laser target hair follicles more accurately. After activating the laser device, however, some sensations of heat or discomfort might arise in the treatment area.
Laser hair removal works by disabling melanin production in hair follicles, thus inhibiting their ability to produce new hair growth and lightening or thinning it significantly. Hair that grows back should be lighter or thinner than it was prior to laser treatments; additionally, it’s essential to refrain from shaving, plucking or waxing treated areas since these will cause melanin levels in hair to return and interfere with laser results.
Hair grows back at different rates for everyone, depending on factors like hormone levels, age and more. Pregnancy or menopause hormone imbalances can hasten hair growth speed; more active hormone cycles might necessitate multiple laser treatments as a remedy.
Laser treatments target only anagen phase hairs. Any other stages will not be impacted by laser treatments and optimal results may require anywhere between two and six treatments to reach.
Once your series of laser treatments has been completed, they should offer permanent or long-term results; however, annual touch up sessions may be required if your hair growth is active and particularly dark.
For optimal laser hair removal results, it is wise to refrain from tweezing or waxing in the treatment area for several weeks prior to each laser session. Furthermore, you should make an effort not to get sunburnt, as sunburn can affect pigmentation levels in hair shafts, which in turn negatively impact laser results.
Laser hair removal is a safe and effective method for reducing unwanted hair. While it delays new growth more than shaving or waxing, laser is only temporary solution; for permanent reduction you should consult with an experienced dermatologist.
