Most patients can have laser hair removal once every 4 to 6 weeks. Your dermatologist will tell you when it's safe to receive another treatment. Most patients see their hair growing back. Your dermatologist can tell you when laser treatments can be safely performed to maintain results.
Although laser hair removal effectively delays hair growth for extended periods, it usually doesn't result in permanent hair removal. Several laser hair removal treatments are needed for initial hair removal, and maintenance treatments may also be needed. Laser hair removal is most effective for people who have fair skin and dark hair, but it can be successfully used on all skin types. After a laser hair removal treatment, you may notice that your hair is noticeably thinner.
For a period of 3 to 10 days, hair will continue to fall out. You may think you're seeing hair growth, but it's actually the hair follicles that come to the surface before they fall out. Laser hair removal is permanent when the hair follicle is destroyed. When the hair follicle is only damaged, the hair will eventually grow back.
When the hair grows back, it is possible to treat it again, so people who want to remove all the hair may need several treatments. During laser hair removal, the laser emits light that is absorbed by the pigment (melanin) in the hair. To gain a realistic understanding of what you can expect from laser hair removal, discuss treatment goals with a doctor or hair removal specialist. The Food and Drug Administration considers these home laser hair removal devices to be cosmetic, not medical, meaning they don't receive the same level of scrutiny as other medical devices.
People with dark skin or light hair may need more treatments than other people and may find that more hair grows back. To get the best performance for your money, you want to get the best results and make your laser hair removal last as long as possible. Heat damages the hair follicles just under the skin and prevents or delays future hair growth. The total cost of laser hair removal depends on several factors, including the person performing the treatment.
The good news is that, thanks to advances in laser hair removal techniques and technology, treatments can work well for people who have light hair or darker skin. There are three cycles of hair growth and loss, the anagen phase (growth phase), the catagen phase (transition phase between growth and loss) and the telogen phase (when hair loss leaves room for new hair growth). Keep reading to learn about how laser hair removal works, how long it lasts, and the costs of laser hair removal procedures. Laser hair removal is an effective FDA-approved treatment for removing unwanted hair from the body and face, revealing a smooth, stubble free surface.
The time between treatments depends on how quickly the hair grows in that area and the hair growth cycle at the time of the consultation.