How does laser hair removal work?

1

Blog | Dr Dhanraj Chavan | July 4, 2021

How does laser hair removal work?

Laser hair removal is one of the treatment to remove the unwanted hairs from our body. But do you know how does laser hair removal work? You should know the principal of the laser technology, to understand the function of the machine. We at HairMD clinic will understand how it works. Do read this blog until the end to understand the process. 

laser hair removal pros and cons

How laser hair removal work?

Laser Hair Removal provides smooth and hairless skin with lasting effects. It achieves this by using a cosmetic laser that fires a concentrated beam of light directed at the pigment in your hair follicles. By killing the follicle at its root and preventing it from growing back. The colour pigment in our skin and hair follicles is called melanin. Not only does it give colour, but it also absorbs radiation. Maybe it is dangerous UV radiation from the sun or the radiation emitted from a tiny cosmetic laser.

The principle works on referred to as ‘selective photo thermolysis. The settings of the laser are adjusted to both your skin and hair colour so that the wavelength of the light emitted from the laser beam matches that of the pigment in your hair. That is why the treatment works best on those with light skin (low melanin) and dark hair (higher melanin). The melanin in the hair drawing the radiation away from the skin.


Must Read

Is laser hair removal safe?


Pre laser hair removal instructions

You need to follow some procedure rules before starting with laser hair removal treatment. Let’s discuss what are the rules.

  • Shave the area you wish to get laser, preferably a day before.
  • Don’t wax or use other hair removal methods like plucking or electrolysis anytime before a laser hair removal treatment session.
  • Stay away from the sun, tanning beds, spray tans, tanning lotion, and chlorine water from at least a month before the treatment. You can’t receive the treatment if you’re sunburned or even tanned, in order to avoid side effects like skin lightening.
  • Don’t use scrubs, glycolic acid, and retinol creams from 2 days before treatment, and chemical peels from 2 weeks before.
  • Start using face mists and additional moisturizers if you find your skin getting drier.
  • Discuss your medical history, the risks, and benefits of treatment, and your expectations from it with your physician beforehand.

Post laser hair removal instructions

It is very important to follow some skincare routine to get better results after laser hair removal.

  • Use a sunscreen (SPF 30) religiously post-treatment.
  • Do not wax or pluck your hair even after the treatment, because pulling out hair follicles after laser hair removal hinders the process. You need to avoid shaving.
  • Avoid perfumes and deodorants for 24-48 hours after treatment.
  • The heat from the laser stays in your skin for a day, so no gym or saunas in order to avoid creating a warm environment for the bacteria to breed in and give you spots.
  • Opt for lukewarm showers instead of hot showers in the first week after treatment.
  • Don’t use scrubs, glycolic acid, and retinol creams even after treatment for 2 days, and chemical peels for 2 weeks.

Essential Reading

Laser hair removal risks 


Do watch this video, to get more information Is laser hair removal permanent or not?

When will I see laser hair removal results?

It is not one sitting result, you need to take multiple no of sittings to see the results.

  • You will discover smooth, hairless skin after the first treatment itself, but you need multiple such treatments for the effects to become permanent.
  • So while the hair may grow back as before after the first session, you will begin to notice a dramatic drop in the growth of your unwanted hair follicles after the three-month mark and notice even more different after that.
  • You will see fewer and fewer hair return after progressive treatments, so finishing the entire series of treatment sessions is crucial to attaining the highest degree of permanent hair reduction.

Quick Read

How long does laser hair removal last?


How many sessions for laser hair removal?

Hair grows in different stages: Anagen(active stage), catagen(transitional) and telogen(resting stage). The laser hair removal treatment only treats the hair growing in the active stage. At any given time, the hair on your body is growing in different stages, so there will be some overlap in the hair that will be treated by the laser. That’s why the part of your body that you wish to make hair-free needs to be lasered several times over the course of several months to be able to target every unwanted hair in its active stage.

The number of sessions required to depend on several factors, which include:

  • Age
  • Skin type
  • Hair type
  • Amount of hair in the treatment area
  • Hair texture
  • A natural thickness of your hair
  • And hormone levels, since they can influence hair growth over time.

On average, 6-8 sessions are required, four to six weeks apart. This time frame allows the dead hair shafts to fall out on their own.


Must Read

How many sessions does laser hair removal take?


We have tried giving you all the information related to how does laser hair removal work. We at HairMD clinic we check your hair growth and hair density and then we give you customised laser treatments. If you like our blog do share with your friends and family members.

Are you looking for hair fall solution? Get in touch with the best of our hair doctors in Pune to cure your hair loss. To book an appointment for a hair treatment or hair transplantation, contact our dermatologists near you, call +919584584111.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *