Body hair is a common problem that almost all representatives of the fair sex try to combat. Every girl dreams of always having well-groomed and smooth skin, and for this they look for any possible methods of hair removal that give a good effect and provide long-term results.
One of the most effective methods is laser hair removal . This procedure has a number of numerous advantages, and the result is visible even after the first visit to a cosmetologist. But this does not always happen. So, after a cosmetic hardware procedure, girls are often not happy with the result, because the hair does not fall out immediately or falls out, but not all of it. laser hair removal really ? We invite you to look into this topic together and get answers to these questions.
We also suggest reading the article “Laser hair removal. Peculiarities"
What is the reason that hair grows after laser hair removal?
Laser hair removal is a procedure in which hair is removed artificially under the influence of a special device that destroys the complete structure of the integument with follicles. Light rays affect melanin, and the hairs die, losing their ability to grow.
It is important to know! It is worth noting that after the first procedure, no more than 30% of the vegetation on the treated areas of the body may immediately disappear.
In this case, the laser affects only those hairs that are in the active growth phase. Those bulbs that are at rest (through which the light “fluff” grows) are not affected by lasers. Over time, they “wake up”, so you shouldn’t be surprised that body hair continues to grow after laser hair removal. To make the skin completely smooth, you need to carry out not one, but several cosmetic procedures (up to 3-8), with a long pause between sessions.
We also suggest reading the article “How much laser hair removal is needed for permanent hair removal?”
Laser hair removal is an effective way to remove excess hair using a laser. Let's consider private questions that clients ask about laser hair removal
Why is laser hair removal done?
Laser hair removal is an effective way to remove unwanted hair. This modern light technique has many advantages over traditional types of hair removal, including painlessness, quick and long-lasting results.
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Who is the procedure intended for?
The procedure can be performed by men and women, but the latter make up the majority of clients. For women, laser hair removal is a real godsend, as it can be done in different parts of the body and expect long-lasting results. The procedure can also be a solution to the problem of unwanted hair growth due to hormonal imbalance in the body or the presence of the disease “hirsutism,” in which women grow hair in a male pattern due to an excess amount of male androgen hormones.
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Can men undergo laser hair removal?
With the help of a laser, men get rid of the need for regular shaving, which often irritates the skin of the face and causes inflammation of the hair follicles. With periodic procedures, the hair becomes less rigid and dense, which improves the condition and appearance of the skin. In addition, the laser is also used as a trimmer - it evens out the contours of the beard, after which it looks more neat and stylish.
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What is a laser used for if there are simpler techniques?
Old methods for removing excess body hair are known - various types of depilation, including the use of a razor, wax, and sugar paste. These techniques are cheaper and easier than laser as they can be done at home.
They have short-term results, often with undesirable consequences. Mechanical methods, unlike the use of a laser beam, do not stop, but rather stimulate hair growth, since they do not destroy hair follicles. In addition, the process itself is usually quite painful. After a few months, new, coarser hair—stubble—grows at the treatment site. This process often causes irritation, peeling, redness, and ingrown hair into the skin. Laser hair removal does not have such consequences.
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Are there ways to completely stop hair growth?
Procedures for removing unwanted hair do not stop hair growth forever, as they do not affect the hormonal system responsible for hair growth.
But in modern cosmetology there are ways to help get rid of unwanted hair for a long period. To maintain the effect, it is necessary to do maintenance procedures every six months.
Permanent techniques include:
- electrolysis is a method using electric current. Gives a lasting effect. Recommended in cases where laser hair removal does not bring any effect, for example, to eliminate gray, blond hair.
- photo- and elos-epilation - techniques using light energy. Photoepilation is carried out under the influence of light energy, and elos also uses radio waves. The combined method gives lasting results.
- laser hair removal is the process of exposure to a laser beam of a certain type (diode, alexandrite, ruby or neodymium). Lasers can have different wavelengths and pulse powers - the settings are selected individually.
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Why is diode laser often used in cosmetology?
Diode laser is an innovative solution in the field of hair removal. The popularity is due to the excellent results and painlessness. A moisturizing gel is applied to the treatment area to cool the skin and protect it from damage.
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Does the result of laser exposure depend on skin tone and hair color?
The result of laser hair removal is more noticeable on dark hair growth areas, as they contain more melanin. Vellus, very light or gray hair is difficult to remove using this method. Skin tone has virtually no effect on the result.
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How many sessions do I need to complete?
A course of laser treatment consists on average of 6-8 procedures depending on the area of treatment. Hair in the armpit area, bikini area, and on the face is more difficult to remove than on the stomach, arms, and legs, so this requires more sessions.
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Why do you need to take the full course?
During growth, hair goes through 3 phases: active, dormant, and loss. The laser beam affects the hair when it is in the active phase. The portion of such hair in the integument at one time is only 15-30%, depending on the part of the body and genetics. After 1-2 weeks, new hair grows from dormant follicles, which also needs to be processed.
Not all hair follicles may be destroyed in 1 session; part of the hairline will simply slow down and become thinner. Therefore, the laser hair removal procedure must be repeated.
After completing the full course of 5-8 sessions, the hair gradually disappears. Then, maintenance procedures will be needed every six months, as fine hairs may appear periodically.
Laser hair removal is the best method for complete hair removal in many respects. In terms of effectiveness, safety and accessibility, it has no equal.
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Do I need to prepare for the procedure?
For 2 weeks, stop visiting the solarium, take antibiotics, 3 days before the procedure, do not use alcohol-containing lotions and shave the treated areas.
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What to expect after the first session?
Before the procedure, you should consult with a cosmetologist. The specialist will exclude contraindications, predict the number of sessions and the result.
When treated with a diode laser, hair does not change color and does not immediately fall out. You may not see any changes in their growth. But after 2-3 weeks it will become noticeable that most of the hair has disappeared and the skin has become smooth. After 2-6 weeks, depending on the area being treated, the procedure is repeated. In the future, the frequency and interval between sessions will be determined by the speed of hair growth.
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What is the aftercare?
It is recommended not to sunbathe 2-3 weeks before and after the procedure, for 3 days after treatment not to visit the pool, bathhouse, sauna, and not to apply alcohol-containing products, moisturizers, or panthenol to the affected area.
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Who is the procedure contraindicated for?
Laser hair removal is contraindicated for persons under 18 years of age, pregnant women, during lactation, with acute diseases, skin diseases, cancer, and diabetes. It is prohibited to treat moles and papillomas with laser. To find out your individual limits, it is recommended to consult a doctor.
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Does the laser irradiate?
No, a laser is only a thermal pulse, a light radiation with high energy density and high selectivity. It heats only the pigmented hair shaft and its bulb, without damaging the skin and internal organs.
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Does laser carry a risk of cancer?
This is a common fear, but there is no basis for it. Hair removal is performed with a diode laser with a wavelength of 808 nm, which is in the visible part of the spectrum and does not damage the tissue. For comparison, ultraviolet radiation has a much greater effect on the body, which can lead to the appearance of malignant tumors. During operation of the laser device, electromagnetic fields are generated, similar to conventional household appliances.
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How to remove hair after treatment, because it does not fall out immediately?
Laser-treated hair falls out within 10-14 days after the procedure. If there is no way to wait, they can be shaved or removed by applying depilatory cream, but they should not be removed with bulbs (waxing, sugaring, electric depilatory, tweezers) so as not to stimulate growth.
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What to do if hair does not grow after several treatments?
This situation happens often. If there is no hair in the active growth stage yet, you can safely enjoy the intermediate result of hair removal. The skin becomes smoother and cleaner, even if the course is not yet completely completed.
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Why is laser hair removal expensive?
After the advent of laser hair removal in Russia, it was indeed expensive and not accessible to everyone. But nowadays, with the development of laser medicine, the cost of procedures has decreased significantly. Ola beauty centers have a very reasonable pricing policy for this service.
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If the main thing in the procedure is the laser, how important is the qualifications of the specialist for the result?
To obtain a safe and visible result, it is important to use any technology correctly. Ola centers employ qualified specialists.
How long does it take for hairs to fall out after laser hardware removal?
Many girls wonder: how long do you need to wait for hair to fall out after laser hair removal? It is impossible to give a clear and precise answer to this question. After laser exposure, vegetation does not begin to disappear immediately. After the first session with a professional cosmetologist, you can remove 20-50% of your hair. With subsequent procedures, the skin is gradually restored, becoming smooth, soft and even.
Also read the article “The effectiveness of bikini hair removal. Photos before and after"
Causes of complications
Let us list the main reasons for the development of complications characteristic of all types of procedures using lasers and IPL systems.
- Professional errors of a doctor, which include poor quality training; diagnostic errors, especially in determining the phototype and skin condition; incorrect choice of laser type and its radiation parameters; failure to carry out test exposure; imperfection of laser technology; incomplete patient awareness of the procedure, its results and post-procedure care; lack of eye protection for the patient or doctor; lack of adequate cooling of the skin during the procedure.
- Failure of patients to comply with doctor’s recommendations for post-procedure care.
- The patient's health condition during the procedure. This factor affects the effectiveness of the procedure itself and the development of complications in the post-procedure period. Even with a high-quality history collection, we cannot fully take into account the presence of all aggravating factors and diseases in the patient, since he does not always know about them.
When collecting anamnesis, it is important to take into account the patient’s tendency to allergic reactions, the presence of hormonal disorders, immunodeficiency conditions, connective tissue diseases and tumor diseases, and the patient’s taking medications that affect the functional activity of melanocytes.
Hair after first laser hair removal
Many girls and women want to see instant results, so they complain to their cosmetologists if their hair does not completely disappear within a couple of days. But you need to take into account that after the session the hair will gradually fall out over 4-6 weeks. How many hairs are removed at once will depend on the hormonal characteristics of the body. As already noted, after the first procedure, at best, only 20-30% of the hair can be removed if a diode laser , and when using an alexandrite laser (which has less power and energy), no more than 15-20% of the hair is removed.
What types of lasers are used in epilation to remove hair?
Several types of laser can be used for hair removal.
- The ruby laser is very effective for fair skin and dark hair color. Its beam penetrates shallowly under the skin. During the process of thermal exposure, unwanted vegetation is eliminated in approximately 5 sessions.
- The Alexandrite laser is considered one of the most effective devices. It is used in a large number of salons, as its effectiveness is quite high. If the procedure is carried out according to all the rules, then there is no pain and complications are practically excluded.
- The peculiarity of the diode laser is that it is able to penetrate into the deep layers of the epithelium, thereby achieving maximum effect. However, the procedure takes longer. Effective when working with any type of hair.
- A neodymium laser allows you to achieve the most lasting and long-lasting (up to 5 years) hair removal effect. Its main distinguishing feature is that the action of the beam is directed directly at the hair follicle and the vessel that nourishes it.
The need to shave hair after laser removal
When after laser hair removal not all hair falls out within 3-5 days, many girls begin to shave it. Of course, in some cases such a need really arises (for example, if you want to show off on the beach in a bikini). But if possible, it is better not to shave your hair, so that the dead parts can completely fall out on their own in the future. If you shave them, then the skin part of the hairs may remain in the bulb.
Number of procedures and interval between sessions
The number of procedures depends on how much “dormant” hair the patient has and the period of its renewal. To achieve a more or less decent result, and this can be considered the need to undergo maintenance procedures no more than once a year, you need from 5 to 10 laser hair removal sessions with an interval of one to two months. Such an interval and frequency of procedures are necessary in order to cover “dormant” follicles that were in the stage of degradation or dormancy at the time of the previous procedure.
Why do you need to undergo maintenance procedures once a year?
Re-sprouting of hairs several years after hair removal is observed in all clients of the laser therapist without exception. How long laser hair removal lasts is largely determined by a person’s hormonal background, his individual characteristics, and the anatomical area where hair removal was performed. In the armpits, bikini area, and above the upper lip, hair growth may resume in response to any change in hormonal levels, for example, due to pregnancy.
Most patients prefer to forget about the problem of unwanted hair until hair regrowth begins to attract attention. Often the “fluff” that appears looks more piquant than unaesthetic, so they prefer to leave it. However, laser hair removal experts recommend one maintenance procedure per year to maintain ideal smooth skin.
The second important reason why laser hair removal should be carried out in a maintenance mode is the stimulating effect of light pulses on the condition of the skin. Laser radiation accelerates tissue metabolism, the process of cell renewal, and the replacement of old destroyed collagen with new one. This beneficial effect is especially noticeable on the face, where the skin instantly reacts to any impact, both damaging and revitalizing. Maintenance laser facial hair removal procedures allow you to forever forget about the mustache above the upper lip and at the same time significantly improve the condition of the skin and its appearance.
Why does hair sometimes reappear?
There are three main reasons:
- insufficient number of procedures: if no more than 20% of hairs can be removed at one time, then the minimum number of procedures is 5, ideal 6;
- re-growth of hair several years after a course of procedures performed in compliance with all rules;
- resumption of hair growth after a procedure performed in violation of technology.
The third reason is not so rare. Some laser centers do not have the appropriate equipment and laser therapists with sufficient experience; some of the specialists are afraid of harming the patient, so they set radiation parameters at which irreversible damage to the follicles does not occur, but the risk of complications tends to zero. The same FDA, in its reports, constantly points out problems associated with the training and licensing of laser equipment operators, resulting in complications of laser treatment in patients. And this is in the States. What can we say about Russia?
Have there been any studies?
The most complete and reliable information regarding laser hair removal is available from the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA). According to FDA experts, laser hair removal does not guarantee permanent hair removal. The result of a course of cosmetic procedures is a significant reduction in hair growth in the area subjected to laser treatment.
According to data collected during the use of lasers for hair removal by doctors of the American Academy of Dermatology, complete absence of hair on the skin can persist for several years. Subsequently, scattered growth of hairs occurs, which are usually lighter and thinner than the primary hairline.
