Hair growth involves three stages; the growing phase (Anagen), the transitional phase (Catagen), and resting phase (Telogen). Since laser treatments only target active growing phase follicles, multiple sessions may be necessary in order to be effective.
If you are treating fast-growing areas such as the face, armpits or legs, treatments should be repeated every 4-6 weeks for best results.
1. After the First Session
Laser treatments target hair follicles directly, unlike waxing, shaving or plucking. By damaging these follicles and stopping their production of new hairs, the damaged ones eventually fall out, no longer growing back in their place – meaning you should notice results after just one session of laser hair removal! For best results it is advised to refrain from shaving, plucking or waxing six weeks before going in for laser therapy and use sugar/salt scrubs on either sponge, washcloth or hands to help accelerate this process of hair loss!
Your laser treatment may cause some discomfort; this will vary from person to person and is often described as tiny rubber bands snapping against their skin. Anti-inflammatory medication such as Tylenol may help alleviate any associated pain or swelling.
Following your laser hair removal session, your skin may become red and irritated – which is normal and should be taken into consideration when making decisions after treatment. Anything that causes further irritation such as taking hot showers, attending the gym or using deodorants with fragrances should be avoided in order to achieve optimum results. Instead, cold showers or soothing aloe vera gel could provide more soothing comfort to the treated area and hasten results.
After your first treatment, your hair will appear noticeably thinner in the treated area due to damaged hair follicles which will gradually shed over time.
Most people need multiple laser hair removal sessions before reaching their desired results. Your treatment plan might require anywhere between five and 10 sessions spaced four weeks apart depending on the color, thickness, area being treated and hormonal influences; once complete your unwanted hair will have been significantly reduced.
2. After the Second Session
Heat from a laser destroys hair follicles, effectively killing them and inhibiting their ability to grow hair in the future. Over time, your body naturally sheds damaged follicles as part of its natural cleansing process – this is when most clients notice a difference in their hair growth as their locks appear thinner and less noticeable than before treatment.
After just a few sessions, most people begin to see a significant reduction in the amount of hair that grows back. Plucking and waxing should not be done between treatments as this may interfere with the process; we instead suggest shaving for smooth and stubble-free skin.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that hair removal is only temporary solution; your hormones could still lead to further hair growth after treatment has concluded, so we advise scheduling touch-up sessions every four to six weeks in order to maintain an aesthetically pleasing result.
While plucking and waxing should be avoided, tanning or overexposure to sunlight should also be limited as exposure can lead to hyperpigmentation, darkening of skin tone and hyperpigmentation due to UV rays from sunlight causing hyperpigmentation caused by laser treatments, making any recovery much harder than anticipated. Therefore, tanning should be limited after each laser session for best results.
Once a course of hair removal has been completed, most clients find themselves completely hair free – no longer worrying about checking for unwanted stubble! Unfortunately we can’t promise this will be true for everyone as results depend on individual hormonal fluctuations.
3. After the Third Session
At first, laser hair removal will become apparent after their second treatment session. You should observe your hair falling out more easily and growing back much slower. Over time, results will continue to improve with each additional session until reaching their ultimate outcome: significantly decreased hair growth.
After each session, it is best to avoid using mechanical methods of hair removal (shaving, waxing, picking or threading) on the treated area as this could interfere with hair cycle cycles and make reaching your goal more difficult. Instead, gentle methods such as scrubs, loofahs or shaving may be more suitable to remove unwanted hairs quickly while simultaneously speeding up their shedding process.
At this point, your body will start naturally shedding the dead hair bulbs and producing ingrown hairs as it naturally does its thing. This should pass within 7-30 days without incident; sometimes redness and bumps may accompany this process as your body works to remove all its hair bulbs.
At this stage, you should have achieved your desired results from laser hair removal and should experience a reduction in hair growth within your treatment area. However, new hairs may appear due to hormonal fluctuations; should this occur, schedule another session with your practitioner so you can continue reducing hair numbers in this area.
Laser hair removal can be beneficial to most individuals; however, due to lack of pigment in blonde or gray hairs it may not work effectively. If you would like more information about this life-altering procedure contact us and schedule a consultation session today!
4. After the Fourth Session
Though results will differ for everyone, it is safe to say that most clients can expect up to a 90% reduction in hair growth after six to eight treatments. After this point, most will only require touch-up sessions once or twice annually to maintain their desired look.
Laser treatments employ thermal energy directly into the hair follicle, damaging it and thus stopping further hair growth. Most men and women find the experience relatively painless; many describe it as feeling similar to when snapping rubber bands against your skin – though more sensitive areas may experience slightly greater discomfort.
Your initial laser hair removal session typically lasts about 30 minutes, and to maximize comfort we request you don’t shave, pluck or wax in the weeks prior to your appointment as the laser needs pigment in the hair to work effectively. Furthermore, sun exposure should also be avoided to avoid sunburn-like reactions in treated areas.
Before your laser treatment begins, we will apply a topical numbing agent to ensure your comfort and avoid any pain or sensitivity during the procedure. Furthermore, it’s essential that you keep up your regular skincare regime to maximize its efficacy during and after treatment.
Maintain a close watch over your hormones as any imbalances can speed up hair regrowth more than anticipated, necessitating more frequent visits for touch-ups during periods of hormonal fluctuation, such as pregnancy or menstruation.
5. After the Fifth Session
Laser hair removal uses pulsed light to target and destroy dark pigment (melanin) present in hair follicles, thus stopping new hair growth. While treatment can be extremely successful, multiple sessions may be needed before seeing significant results; most individuals require four or six treatments before experiencing significant differences.
Before your first laser hair removal session, there are a few steps you should take in order to prepare. Avoiding plucking, waxing and electrolysis for six weeks prior to the procedure as these can disturb hair follicles and interfere with its process. Furthermore, avoid tanning or any sunless skin creams as these substances darken the skin further, making it harder for laser to target melanin pigment in hair follicles.
As your laser hair removal session proceeds, you may experience discomfort or a slight burning sensation as the laser targets individual follicles. This sensation is normal and should subside as the procedure continues; some patients have described this experience as similar to rubber band snapping or sunburn, while others describe it as pinching sensations or mosquito bites. Although painful at first, most find the pain manageable over time.
Within one week of your laser hair removal appointment, you may experience some hair shedding in the treated areas. This is an indicator of success and should not be mistaken for regrowth; however not all anagen hair will fall out due to being out of laser range.
After receiving laser treatment, some hair may regrow, though it’s quite unlikely. This often happens with women experiencing hormonal fluctuations like polycystic ovarian syndrome or using hormone replacement therapy; or possibly those going through menopause as estrogen levels drop.
