AD | Getting rid of unwanted body and facial hair is a core part of our beauty regimes, isn’t it But if you’re not a fan of shaving, creams, waxing, or epilation methods, have you ever considered laser hair removal? This painless and permanent hair removal process is becoming increasingly popular with both men and women and here’s why.
How does laser hair removal work?
Medical grade lasers direct light into your hair follicle and the light energy heats the melanin pigment, destroying the hair follicle. Here’s the clever bit: it only affects the specific structures of the hair and follicle, leaving the surrounding skin undamaged. However, your body hair can play an important role in this treatment, depending on the type and stage in the growth cycle.
What are the types of body hair?
Way back in my Beauty Specialist training days, I learned about the two types of body hair: vellus and terminal. Vellus hair covers our entire body, excluding the palms and soles of our feet, and it’s usually soft and fine. Terminal hair, on the other hand, is highly visible, deeply pigmented and thick in nature. This hair is usually present in the underarm, leg and pubic areas.
How does the laser hair removal procedure affect each hair type?
The type of body hair you have and the areas of your skin you’re targeting determine the effectiveness of this permanent hair removal therapy. Thick, terminal hair is relatively easy to remove because the beam targets the melanin present in the hair, and the heat permanently destroys the follicle. Laser treatment for vellus hair can be less effective, but with the advanced machines and technology available, it’s still a straightforward process.
How do hair growth cycles affect my treatment?
To completely remove unwanted hair from your body, you’ll need to undertake several laser hair removal sessions. Our hair grows in cycles, and there are three different stages: Anagen (active), Catagen (regression) and Telogen (resting). Anagen lasts around 28 days and the hair grows fast, with the root dividing rapidly and creating new hairs. Catagen lasts around 14-21 days, during which time the active growth of the hair slows down. During Telogen, the hair has stopped growing and hair follicles have died. For example, we can lose between 50-100 dead hairs a day from our scalps.
Terminal hair in the underarms, pubic and leg areas won’t all be in the same growth phase or thickness at the same time. And your first treatment will only remove a certain amount of hairs. Much like waxing or epilation, you’ll see new hairs growing again a couple of weeks after your first session. So this is why you’ll need to undergo several laser hair removal treatments to completely remove all unwanted hair. And in answer to the question, “is laser hair removal permanent?” Most people start seeing permanent results after six months of laser hair removal therapy.
Are there any special health conditions to be considered?
Often, certain health issues lead to excessive hair growth in the body, which can benefit from this laser hair removal procedure. PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome), for example, encourages unnecessary growth of body hair due to the release of androgens. Cancer in the ovaries and adrenal glands can also cause similar side effects and laser hair removal therapy has successfully treated these conditions. But of course, and it should go without saying, it’s vital you let your therapist know about any existing medical conditions before any treatment begins.
Have you ever considered laser hair removal? What’s your preferred method of unwanted body hair removal? Did you know about the different stages of body hair growth?
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I don’t know much about laser hair removal but have always been interested so this is such a helpful post for me! I had no idea you had to undergo several laser treatments, I always assumed it was one and then gone haha! Thanks for sharing this 🙂
Anika
Ah no, sadly, you need a few treatments because of the different hair growth cycles – but once they’re gone, they’re gone! Glad this was helpful 🙂
Thanks for this post, Lisa. I recently started using an epilator to get away from plastic razor cartridges. I find it works well for me.
I have an epilator as well – although it’s not the most pain-free option so sometimes I’d love to be hair-free 🙂
Great post! Thank you for sharing! This is very helpful as I didn’t know a lot about it before!
Thank you, I’m glad it was helpful.
This was a very interesting post – I had no idea on the different stages of hair growth. Once the pandemic is over, I may seek out this treatment. I’ve tried waxing on my lower legs but after several treatments I was still getting a lot of hair growth within a few days of treatment. Thanks for sharing.
Waxing can weaken hair growth over time but it will never get rid of the little perishers entirely – laser is the way to go!
Laser hair removal was the best thing I ever did. I did it for about a year, then took a break. I think I may have PCOS and have been undiagnosed. I definitely want to try laser hair again for the dark hairs I’m experiencing because of it. I’m also starting to change my diet and habits to help as well. 🙂 Great post.
Oh, that’s so interesting, and great to hear it worked so well for you. I hope you can get some more laser therapy again soon!
I have been dying to get laser hair removal; it seems so efficient and painless. To not worry about body hair would be fantastic. Thanks for the information! Great post!
Not having to defuzz all the time would be the dream!
I have never considered trying laser hair removal, though it certainly sounds like it has its perks! The trouble with waxing is, hair always grows back. If I were to try anything now, I might go for epilation and see if there is a place near me that can do laser hair removal once I feel comfortable going out again. 🙂
Thanks so much for sharing!
I use an epilator and it’s good but, like waxing, the hair always grows back 🙁 I think laser is the only way to go for permanent hair removal – glad you found this useful, Jaya 🙂
I have to admit that I knew pretty much nothing about this until reading this post, so thank you so much. I have really sensitive skin which has meant trying a LOT of products to find the ones that are best, so this really intrigues me. Maybe something to look into more – thanks for sharing!
Ah, you’re welcome, I’m so glad you found it helpful – I must admit, I’d forgotten about all the different stages of hair growth until this post too 🙂
I considered laser hair removal, but the costs are the thing that keep me from trying. I don’t spend a lot on hair removal, so the cost is the only issue for me. That being said, I love reading on this topic. Maybe someday I will try it.
It’s not the cheapest option for sure but when you add up what you spend on hair removal over time, maybe for a smaller area at least it’s a good investment 🙂
This is such an interesting post! I’d love to get laser hair removal – it would make life that little bit easier!
Charlotte | charlotterick.com xx
I think so too – definitely on my bucket list! x
I have always thought about having laser hair removal but the price has always put me off. I had no clue that we have 3 different hair growth cycles. This was so informative and I definitely learned a lot, thank you for sharing.
Yes, it’s an investment for sure! And yes, the different cycles are why people think hair removal doesn’t really work because new hair seems to appear within a week of removal 🙂
Informative post since It covered a lot I wasn’t aware of thank you for sharing this information.
Thank you, I’m glad it was helpful.
It’s really interesting to read about this, I never really understood the process before but a friend of mine has had it and was very conscious of it and didn’t like to discuss it.
This is really informative x
That’s interesting about your friend – but thank you, I’m glad it was useful! x
I’ve always been really interested in laser hair removal but I am such a wuss! I think the price is totally worth it, my friend gets it done and her results are amazing! Maybe I should just take the plunge!
Rosie
I think it’s a really good treatment but obviously horses for courses – glad your friend is happy though!
I don’t know much about laser hair removal so this was really interesting to read! I’ve considered it in the past but not sure if I’d actually get it done xx
http://www.dellalovesnutella.co.uk/
It’s not right for everyone but it’s very effective if you do go for it x
I’ve never considered laser removal – I’ve always been a razor person but it gets so annoying having to do it so frequently! I didn’t actually know much about the topic as a whole, so this was really informative – I may have to try it someday!
I stopped shaving my legs years ago, I got fed up with having to do it so often – now I use an epilator but laser hair removal has also been on my radar for a while!
I am hoping to try laser hair removal after the pandemic. Thank you for the info so I can go into it informed!
You’re welcome, good luck, I hope it works for you!
Oo this is super interesting! I have never really read much about this before!
Amber | The Unpredicted Page
I’m glad it was useful 🙂
Can’t believe I have missed so many interesting posts Lisa. I am very busy with work and some project. I also use an epilator for the past more than 20 years and it is the best for me. I never tried laser hair removal but it is an interesting topic 🙂 The different cycle of hair growth is interesting too.
Ah, thank you, Via, that’s very kind. Stay safe and well my lovely friend 🙂
Hello Lisa, thank you for this interesting write-up on laser hair removal. At present, I’m working with waxing techniques and consider adding permanent hair removal to my offerings. So, your article is helpful and much appreciated.
Semra | skinra.beauty
Thank you so much, Semra, I’m so pleased this was helpful 😊