Permanent Laser Hair Removal

Laser hair removal has been approved by the FDA for permanent hair reduction, however don't let this mislead you, laser will not eliminate 100% of the hair, it will result in a long-term and effective reduction of hair growth.

Now, almost every one of our clients asks "Why isn't laser hair removal completely permanent?" In order to completely understand you will need to understand the hair growth cycle.

The quick and easy answer is that laser is only effective during initial growth phases and only certain hairs will be affected by a treatment at any certain time, and to be 100% percent effective you need to catch every single hair in its initial growth stage (which is very difficult to do).

If you are interested in learning the details keep reading and I will help you discover the details.

Laser Hair Growth Cycles

The reason why laser hair removal is NOT permanent is because the way that hair grows on your body.

Each hair follicle on your body undergoes a cycle of activity.

First, new hair will start growing at the root and will continue to grow until it reaches its maximum length.

It will then shed and finally be replaced by new hair, at which point the cycle repeats.

In total, there are three main phases in a hair's life cycle:

1. Anagen Phase (the active growth phase)

   During this phase, the hair grows rapidly and contains an abundance of melanin, which absorbs light. The laser will only treat anagen hair. Any hairs on the day of treatment that are treated in this phase are permanently disabled.

2. Catagen Phase (transitional period)

   This phase lasts for a period of 2 to 10 weeks depending on the area. This is the end of the growth phase and is marked by changes in the hair follicle. The hair stops growing and the hair follicle separates from the base, forming club hair.

3. Telogen Phase (shedding phase)

   In this phase, all activity stops. Telogen club hair remains in a resting state for 3 to 5 months before being released. The old hair is pushed out by the new hair, and thus the cycle begins.

So what does all of this mean to you?

In simple terms, the hairs that are in the root stage (anagen hairs) on the day of treatment will be treated successfully and be permanently disabled.

The reason is that the laser only targets the blood supply and the cells in the area.

The hairs treated in any other phase will NOT be permanently disabled.

When I come in for my treatment, approximately how much reduction will I see?

Well, it depends on what percentage of hair growth is in the anagen phase.

An example is scalp hair. Given that the hair on the head is fairly long, there is a higher percentage of hair in the anagen phase, normally about 70 to 80%.

If I was to treat the hair on my head, which is very long, it will probably never grow back.

Body hair: Normally, a very small percentage of hair is in the anagen phase and is targeted when you come in for a treatment.

Thus, you will notice a gradual reduction of hair growth each time you undergo a treatment, normally around 20% each time.

Some Examples of Hair Growth Times

	Scalp	Arms	Pubic Area
Anagen (Growth) Phase	2 to 3 years (sometimes longer)	18 to 24 months	6 to 8 months
Catagen (Shrivelling) Phase	2 to 3 weeks	6 to 10 weeks	6 to 10 weeks
Telogen (Resting) Phase	About 3 months	About 3 months	About 5 months

The duration of the hair growth cycle varies in different parts of the body and from person to person. It is affected by your basic genetic (DNA) makeup, age, health and gender.

Different hair colour and follicle shape also affects the timing of these phases.

The growth cycle is the reason why you require numerous treatments; we cannot determine in what stage your hair growth is, as we cannot see what is happening under your skin.

Other Factors that Affect Hair Reduction

The results will vary from individual to individual, due to your hair type, skin type, health, and age.

Thus, some clients will require more sessions and some will require fewer.

The following factors can also affect laser hair removal:

• Hormones: Low levels of female hormones and high levels of the male hormone
• Hereditary and racial background
• Stress can produce more male hormones
• Pregnancy
• Menopause
• Medication, birth control pills, steroids, etc.
• Illness
• Increased blood supply
• Injury
• Colour of hair: The finer or lighter the hair, the less effective laser hair removal will be

We cannot predict how many treatments you will require. However, on average, six to twelve sessions are required. Some maintenance treatments will also be required depending on which areas are treated.

If all this sounds confusing email me your questions below and I will answer them within 24hrs

Ask Me A Question?

Just write your question below and I'll get straight onto it!

Enter The Title Here

Ask Away! [ ? ]

Close Help Just type your question here

Upload 1-4 Pictures or Graphics (optional) [ ? ]

Close Help Do you have a picture to add? Great! Click the button and find it on your computer. Then select it.

Add a Picture/Graphic Caption (optional) 

Click here to upload more images (optional)

Add a Picture/Graphic Caption (optional) 

Add a Picture/Graphic Caption (optional) 

Add a Picture/Graphic Caption (optional) 

Author Information (optional)

To receive credit as the author, enter your information below.

Your Name	(first or full name)
Your Location	(ex. City, State, Country)

Submit Your Contribution

Check box to agree to these submission guidelines.

(You can preview and edit on the next page)

Click here to see the rest of the form and complete your submission.

What Other Visitors Have Asked

Click below to see questions from other visitors to this page...