There’s no shortage of options when it comes to removing unwanted hair from your body or face. You’ve no doubt tried waxing, shaving, sugaring, creams, threading, epilating, tweezing or electrolysis over the years. But whatever you try, back it grows.
You’ve probably arrived on this page because you’ve heard that laser hair removal is permanent. We’re here to explain honestly what your expectations should be before you choose this form of treatment. In a nutshell, it’s about as close as you can get to being permanent with today’s technology, and outperforms most other techniques when done properly. But in this article we’ll explain what this means and why you will need several sessions, with occasional re-visits over the years.
How hair grows
Let’s start by looking at how hair actually emerges from your skin to create the different types of hair you find on your head, face and body. Each hair strand grows from a follicle that is embedded into your skin. It’s a tiny tube or pouch, with a root that sits in the hypodermis, which is the layer below the dermis and epidermis. The root is where the hair receives its blood and the energy it needs to grow.
You are born with about 5 million follicles over your body, 1 million of which are on your head. Hair growth is a cycle, with four stages:
-
Anagen (growth, which can last several years for a single follicle)
-
Catagen (transition between anagen and telogen, which takes about two weeks),
-
Telogen (resting, where growth has stopped completely, but the hair remains anchored to the skin for about 10 weeks)
-
Exogen (shedding, where the hair falls out, but anagen will start in the follicle).
Pick any group of neighbouring follicles at random, and there will be at least one at each stage, (although the majority will be growing). The timings for these stages vary over the different parts of your body, too – eyebrows have a short anagen stage, for example, which is why they don’t tend to grow very long before falling out.
Laser hair treatment – timing is everything
When it comes to laser hair removal, it really matters which growth stage the hair is at. The best results are achieved during anagen (growth), as this is when the melanin is at its richest. The laser works on the melanin to destroy the follicle.
So, on the day you turn up at the clinic for your treatment, only about 80–90% of the area being treated will be in the growth stage. The remaining follicles will be either transitioning, resting or shedding. A few months later, most of these follicles will have produced new hairs. For that reason, a single treatment will not be enough. At least one more session, but possibly several more, will be required if you want maximum impact.
Other factors do come into play, however. For example, if you have very light or fine hair, you might be able to live with the much reduced amount of hair as it goes through its growth stages. Also, different people have different rates of hair growth, which will factor in. After your initial consultation, then observing the results a few weeks after treatment, you’ll get a better picture of the situation.
What to expect from laser hair removal
It’s important that you understand what results you can hope for after laser hair removal. We would advise you to dismiss anyone claiming to be able to remove it all in one session for the reasons given above.
So, once you’ve had enough sessions to cover your hair through all its stages in the relevant area, does that mean it will be permanently hairless? Most of the time, the answer is “not quite”. Although laser treatment is thorough and effective, some follicles will survive the process, even when timing is perfect. A dead follicle, however, will never regenerate and grow back.
Once you’ve had your first session, it is almost inevitable that you will start to see growth coming back in the treated area. That is absolutely normal. It is mainly down to some follicles not being at the best stage for laser treatment, but there will also be a small number of follicles that survived the treatment despite being at the growth stage. However, the total amount of hair will be greatly reduced, potentially by as much as 90%.
After your second session, if you choose to take it, you can expect this percentage to be higher still, and after three or four more sessions, the treated area will be almost completely smooth. Note – we offer a reduced rate for customers who purchase their whole treatment rather than paying for individual sessions.
Comparison with other forms of hair removal
How does laser treatment compare with other forms of hair removal? Here’s our rough guide.
-
Shaving is a daily commitment, and can cause irritation, cuts and scratches. It generally needs to be done with plenty of water, typically in a bath or shower, so needs planning and can be inconvenient. It’s also worth noting that razors and shaving cream are expensive, and can really add up over a lifetime. It can be quick and convenient for large areas, and it’s a myth that shaving promotes extra hair growth.
-
Waxing and sugaring are painful – certainly not for the faint-hearted. And all that pain is for a temporary result, as regrowth will happen soon enough. It can also take time to heal, so shouldn’t be done too soon before a beach holiday or wearing a revealing dress. It can also be expensive over time. It can do a pretty thorough, if temporary, job, however.
-
Electrolysis is time-consuming and can be expensive when professionally done. Some people do find it painful, too. However, in terms of thoroughness and permanence, it can be a pretty good alternative to lasers.
-
Depilatory creams come with the risk of chemical burns or adverse reactions, and the hairs will grow back eventually. They are, however, easy to get hold of, and some people find them convenient for small, non-sensitive areas.
-
Tweezing is time-consuming and sometimes painful, and there is always the potential for infections due to quite rough treatment of the follicles and surrounding skin. It’s generally OK to whip out the odd hair, though.