The desire for permanent hair removal in both men and women has created a worldwide craze – Laser Hair Removal. People are queuing up at clinics around the world hoping for the miracle cure to rid themselves permanently of hair in undesirable places. But for permanent hair reduction, the bare reality is that it is very rare that just one session of laser treatment will give the desired result. And here’s why:

Is Laser Hair Removal Permanent ?

Some say YES, some say NO. Studies show that the best-known method of achieving permanent hair removal is Laser Hair Removal, and if the procedure is performed correctly (using the right equipment), permanency is definitely possible. That’s because laser hair removal actually kills the hair follicle, which impairs it’s ability to grow. But you need to get the hair at the right stage in the growth cycle to ensure permanent hair removal, which means that you will need to undergo a number of treatments.

You see, hair grows in 3 stages, and Laser treatment in the first growth stage (Anagen stage) is the best for permanent reduction. Laser treatment in the other 2 stages (Categen and Telogen) can be less effective, because in these stages new hairs are being formed which may not be target-able by the Laser. So for permanency you will need to undergo a number of laser treatments over time to kill all the hair follicles in that region.

Which Growth Stage is Best for Permanent Hair Removal ?

Everyone’s hair grows differently, depending on their age, weight, metabolism, hormonal interactions, genetics, medications and environmental influences. Irrespective of this, hair grows in a cycle which has 3 distinct stages, and the ability of the Laser to target and destroy the hair follicle actually depends on the stage of the hair in the growth cycle. That is because the Lasers used in hair removal actually target the pigment in the hair to “zero in” on the hair follicle. In the initial growth stage of hair, there is more pigment in the hair, thus the Laser is more effective.

Following is an overview of the 3 different hair growth cycle stages, and how effective laser treatment is in each of these stages:

The ACTIVE or ANAGEN growth phase (lasts 2-6 years), comprises approximately 85 % of our body hair at any given moment in time. During this ANAGEN phase, the hair shaft and follicle has an abundance of pigment and is most sensitive to the laser light. So in this stage, permanent hair removal is very likely. The Laser will destroy the hair follicle and no new hair will grow.

The REGRESSIVE or CATAGEN phase (lasts 1-2 weeks) is the period during which the hair stops actively growing but is not shed. This phase often lasts several weeks comprising about 3 – 4% of our total body hair at any given time. In the early part of this stage, you can expect the same results as in the ANAGEN stage. But later in this stage, a new hair might already be forming, and because it will have no pigment yet, it won’t be destroyed.

The RESTING or TELOGEN phase lasts 5 – 6 weeks, at the end of which the hair falls out and a new hair begins to form. Approximately 10-13% of our body hair is in this phase at any one time. Again, the new hair will not have any pigment and the laser will not be able to target it. This new hair will shortly enter the ANAGEN stage, and if it is exposed to a Laser treatment when it has entered the ANAGEN stage, then permanency can be expected.

In summary, each hair on your body will naturally be at a different part of the growth cycle, and that is why it will be necessary in most cases to undergo a number of Laser hair Removal treatments at varying intervals to completely destroy all hair follicles in the region you are targeting. You might be lucky and destroy more than 85% of the hair follicles in the target region with just one treatment, but the statistics point towards needing at least 2 treatments (possibly 3 or more) to totally destroy all hair follicles in any part of the body.

Until recently, shaving, plucking, waxing, and electrolysis were the only methods of removing unwanted hair. In the early 1990′s, the first reports of using laser energy to selectively damage and disable actively growing hair follicles were published, and since the mid 1990′s, laser hair removal has become the “Gold Standard” for the management of unwanted hair.

People started to crave for the newly discovered laser hair removal, but as they undertook the treatment they found out several side effects. Nonetheless, it should be noted that the side effects are only temporary.

There are several laser hair removal systems available today, but they all work using the principal of selective photothermolysis, in which a carefully timed pulse of laser energy passes through the skin and is absorbed and converted to heat energy at the hair follicle.

Because longer wavelength laser light penetrates deepest, the most common lasers used are the Ruby, Alexandrite, Diode, and Nd:YAG lasers, all red or infrared lasers. The bottom line, all of these may be the cause for some side effects that a patient may experience.

The possibility exists that some side effects of laser hair removal can be one of the following:

? Redness- this could be an initial side effect on the part of the client after undergoing the laser hair removal which is usually caused by the heat that transpires on the skin to the hair follicles.

? Swelling- this complements the redness of the patient’s skin after treatment.

? Itching- it is commonly experienced by the patients during treatment sessions.

? Pain, tingling, or feeling of numbness (cold spray) – this is why the surgeons advised the patients not to apply any cream prior to the treatment that may cause their numbness.

? Crusting/scab formation (on ingrown hairs).

? Bruising- this is noted to be one of the rarest cases being brought up by the patients after the laser hair removal treatment.

? Purpura (Purple Coloring of the skin) on tanned areas- the laser hair removal is not that advisable for individual who have tanned skin because this is the most crucial problem that they could encounter after treatment.

? Temporary pigment change- it could be classified as either hypo-pigmentation or hyper-pigmentation on the client’s skin.

Although there are some risks in laser hair removal treatment, there are still other clients who have tested the treatment that have described it as simply as having a feeling of being snapped by a rubber band. Most patients tolerate the procedure well, but some areas of the body are more sensitive than others which is why they experience these side effects. This is very normal even with other forms of skin treatments.

Immediate side effects if any are frequently minor and short lived. Most people return to their normal activities right away.

People should not be upset if there are some side effects brought by the laser hair removal because the lasers that are used at out-clinic are non-invasive and are designed to be gentle enough to treat an individual’s sensitive skin and effective enough to remove even a man’s beard or back hair. Each has an active cooling system to gently treat hair while protecting the appearance of the surrounding skin.

Even though there are a few side effects with laser hair removal we must bear in mind that these are unavoidable, and for most people the outcome still outweighs this annoyance.