How many laser hair removal treatments are needed?

Laser hair removal is a relatively pain-free way to get rid of unwanted hair. The cost of laser hair removal averages around $400 per treatment. In order to determine the number of treatments you will need, you must go in for a consultation. The larger the area, the longer it will take per treatment and the number of treatments may increase. Unlike waxing and tweezing, laser hair removal is a permanent solution to removing unwanted hair from the body.

Some areas of the body, like the upper lip, only take about 10 minutes per session. The legs or the back can take 60 minutes or longer. Even though the upper lip requires less time per treatment, you may end up having more treatments because of the hair follicles growth patterns. In order to determine the number of treatments you need, it is important to understand how the hair growth patterns work.

The hair follicle is the area that is targeted by laser hair removal because it is where the hair is formed. At any given time, only 70-80 percent of hair growth is happening during a cycle. The other hair is considered dormant or asleep inside the hair follicle. Once the dormant hair begins working, it starts to push the old hair out through the hair follicle and starts producing new hair. Hair grows at the rate of one-half inch every month, which is why patients need to have multiple laser hair removal sessions. After the initial treatment, the patient must wait about 4 weeks so the new hair can form and grow. A lot of the hair will fall out on its own, but the hair follicle needs to be targeted again. Depending upon the individuals' hair cycle, it can take anywhere from 4 weeks to 3 months for the new hair to grow and develop.

Everyone's hair grows in different patterns. Your age, weight, ethnicity, hormones, metabolism, medications, and other things all impact the growth of your hair. In order for laser hair removal to work, it must target the hair during its active phase. The active growth phase is called the anagen phase, and it can continue for several years, depending upon the area that is being treated.

Laser hair removal is a wonderful solution for individuals that commonly use other options to remove unwanted hair; however it is not for everyone. In order for laser hair removal to be successful, the hair must be darker than the skin surrounding it. If you have tan skin, it is recommended that you wait until your tan has faded before being treated with laser hair removal. New lasers are able to treat patients that have darker skin pigmentation, allowing practically everyone to be a candidate for laser hair removal. Patients with lighter hair may not have the same success rates as other patients, and they may require additional treatments from other patients.

Since patients must return for multiple treatments, the price of laser hair removal is generally around $1500 for one area to be completely treated. The average number of treatments is 4. Some areas require 8, where other areas only require 3. The number of treatments and the treatment cost will be set based on the skin color, hair color, laser type, the area being treated, and the technician performing the procedure. Every salon will require patients to come in for a consultation before treatments can begin. At the consultation, you will have a chance to discuss your concerns about laser hair removal with the doctor or laser technician. The doctor will be able to look at the area you want treated and make an evaluation as to how many treatments you will need. When you are discussing laser hair removal with the doctor, you need to ask about the spot size of the laser and the energy the laser emits. New lasers are able to cover more surface area, thereby reducing the total number of treatments needed. A doctor with more experience will be able to perform the procedure faster and they may cut down on the number of treatments you need.

At each treatment, the laser is only able to disable the number of actively growing hairs. Since the hair grows in cycles, it can take months to successfully destroy all the hairs. The density of your hair will also impact the number of treatments you need, as will your diet and other factors. The thickness of the hair will require more treatments since the doctor will need to take longer to target all the surface area where the hair is growing.

Compared to electrolysis, the number of treatments for laser hair removal is significantly less. After just one treatment, you should expect to see at least a 50% reduction in the amount of hair. Most of the hair that grows will fall out within in few days. After the initial appointment, you will create a treatment schedule that fits your needs and works with your particular hair growth. It is important for the hair follicles to begin growing again, so they need enough time in between sessions to grow long enough to be targeted. If the treatments are too close together, the session may be wasted and it will not be effective. Although most doctors state 4 weeks is a good amount of time, others recommend that patients wait at least 6 to 8 weeks between treatments.

Patients are required to wear eye protection at each treatment since the laser can damage the eye and cause blindness. The lasers have been tested for safety and are approved for use by trained doctors and laser technicians. The side effects of laser hair removal are minimal, though some patients have experienced scarring, infection, soreness, blisters, and lightening or darkening of the skin. Usually the side effects fade over time, though there are some cases where plastic surgery was required to fix the problem. Most of the side effects are the same as waxing and plucking, which is a general soreness in the treated area for a few hours and redness or swelling in that area.

Laser hair removal is safe because a low-energy laser specifically targets the melanin, the dark section of hair, and gently removes the unwanted hair. Most patients experience minimal pain from laser hair removal, similar to that of a small bee sting or slight pinching feeling. Several doctors and patients describe the pain as that of a rubber band slapping the skin. Laser hair removal is not as painful as waxing, and it treats more hair at one time. After the laser hair removal treatment is complete, patients will experience softer, smoother skin.

Several doctors are studying the impact of laser hair removal on the hair follicles. After several years, some patients have seen the hair growth start again. The reason for the hair growth is due to several factors including; age, hormones, diet, and genetics. Some individuals experience denser hair growth than other patients, causing them to have re-treatments several years later. For most people, laser hair removal is a permanent solution to their unwanted hair problems. The lasers simply target the hair follicles and heat the hair, causing it be burned inside the follicle. The laser then heats the follicle and slows its capacity to produce hair, causing it to go into a dormant stage. Most patients do not see additional hair growth, but it varies from patient to patient.

The difference of laser hair removal from other options, like plucking and waxing, is that it causes the hair to grow back slowly and thinner. The hairs that are plucked or waxed seem to grow back faster and look thicker; however they are not different because these hairs were produced during puberty when the hair was getting darker and thicker. If you did not pluck the hair, it would come out looking the same during its next growth cycle.

A few things you can do to lower the number of treatments you have is to avoid tanning the skin. Excessive exposure to the sun causes the skin pigment to darken, which makes it difficult for the laser to target the dark hair inside the follicle. It is important to avoid shaving, tweezing, waxing, or using other methods to remove unwanted hair in between sessions. Some patients like to bleach their hair in between sessions, which makes it more difficult for the laser. Bleaching the hair is not recommended in between sessions; instead patients should allow their hair to grow naturally for at least 3 days before the treatment. The doctor may trim the hair to the required length at the appointment.

If your skin must be exposed to sunlight, it is important to wear sunscreen or try to cover the area that is being treated. After the laser hair removal appointment, patients may experience red skin and some soreness in the area. The soreness usually goes away after a few hours, as does the redness of the skin. Patients can take ibuprofen if they do experience any pain from the treatment. Generally patients become numb to the pain after a few treatments and it does not hurt. The nurses also place ice packs on the skin to help numb it from the sting of the laser.