How Permanent Is Laser Hair Removal?

Hair removal is one of those chores that always brings a frown on the face. Whether you use a razor or waxing strips, the daily or fortnightly task can leave you annoyed. While waxing can cause a lot of pain, shaving leads to thick and prickly growth.

The worst part is that it has to be done every other day to stay hair-free. Thus, laser hair removal in Melbourne has become a preferred choice for people who are exhausted with the tiring routine.

It provides a long-term solution to the problem and has been immensely successful and satisfying. It delays regrowth for a very long period and, in some cases, for years. If you are considering the treatment, let us help you understand how permanent laser hair removal is.

Does Laser Hair Removal Provide Permanent Results?

No, the result is not permanent, which means that it will not last a lifetime and some hair may regrow. However, it takes a long time before they start reappearing. Also, the new growth is extremely thin and scanty, so it is not easily visible.

The laser penetrates the upper layer of skin to destroy the hair follicle so that new growth is disabled. The hair follicles stay inactive for a long period but may begin to have regrowth after several months. It offers better results than other forms of hair removal because they work on the hair above the skin.

Laser hair removal can be effectively performed on any body part, including the face (barring the eyes), neck, back, legs, bikini line, underarms, and arms. In some cases, the hair may not regrow if the hair was scarce in the first place. In other cases, like legs and arms, where the growth is more pronounced, the hair may grow back after six months or one year.

For regrowth, the person can undergo maintenance sessions that are completed in a single appointment as the volume of hair is too low. These touch-ups are less frequent and quick.

Why Does Hair Grow Back After Laser Treatment?

The reasons for regrowth can be more than one. If you choose to get the treatment done at an obscure salon with no trained or licensed staff and technicians, you may not get the desired results.

An amateur laser practitioner may not be able to destroy all the hair follicles, but you may not be able to see the impact because the heat from the laser will damage the follicles. The time that the hair will take to regrow differs from person to person.

No two people have the same hair growth cycle, so it cannot be standardised. While for some people, the hair grows back within six months, for others, it may take years. Hair follicles have the natural ability to heal themselves, and this is the reason for regrowth. Thus, most people have to go through touch-up sessions to maintain hair-free and smooth skin.

Why Do I Need More than One Laser Session?

Although one session does not take much time, you need more than one to remove all the hair. It is necessary because different hair strands are in different stages of their growth cycle at the time of the treatment.

The laser works best on those hair follicles that are in the new growth phase and this is why it is recommended to shave a night before the appointment and giving up waxing at least six weeks before the session.

Hair starts shedding after the first session itself and is gone completely by the end of the treatment. On average, most people require four to six appointments. However, they are spaced at an interval of six weeks. Thus, laser hair removal takes time.

The duration of a single session depends on the size of the area that needs to be treated with a laser. For example, if you are undergoing laser hair removal on full legs, every session will last up to an hour. On the other hand, if you are getting hair removed from the underarms, it may take less than 10 minutes to complete one session.

How Do the Touch-Ups Help?

An important thing to consider here is that all hair follicles are not destroyed by laser therapy. However, the remaining ones that are not destroyed but damaged can regenerate and give birth to new hair that is much thinner, lighter, and sparse. Thus, the touch-ups help in getting rid of these select few strands.

You may need the maintenance sessions once a year or maybe twice if you witness new growth early. Since hair growth on the face is hormone-driven, it can be challenging to determine how soon you will need a touch-up on the face.

Also, beware of skin clinics that claim to offer permanent hair removal as it is highly unlikely to achieve the feat because of the regeneration ability of the hair follicles. However, laser hair removal still scores over other methods because it offers lasting results. Also, it proves cheaper to pay upfront rather than spending every month at beauty salons and spas that charge a premium for their services.

Endnote

If you have been toying with the idea of undergoing laser hair removal in Melbourne, you must have often thought about its effectiveness. Although the treatment does not guarantee permanent hair removal, it does reduce growth permanently and offers longer hair-free periods than any other procedure.