The buildup of starting laser hair reduction is always more stressful than the actual treatment. Our patients always leave asking “Why have I not started this sooner”?! I have come to the conclusion there is not much education out there on LHR, therefore the treatment can sound a lot scarier than it actually is.
Laser Hair Reduction: the Basics
LHR is not an actual 100% remover of the hair, but 6-9 sessions can, more often than not, give you a 40-90% reduction. There are many different factors that can effect this number.
You want to be as fair toned as possible. Being in the sun does not affect the treatment in any way except the darker you are the lower levels of energy we have to use to ensure your safety. If you are darker toned, you can still be treated, just at a lower energy level and you might need more like 9 treatments instead of 6. You may also have a lower amount of reduction.
This is a difficult treatment to do on people with light or red hair. The reason for this is because the machine is looking to destroy the melanin in the hair. There is very little melanin in these hair colors therefor it can be difficult for the machine to destroy these follicles.
You do need to come with the areas shaven and by no means can you partake in any treatment that pulls the hair from the root during the duration of your treatment, or 30 days prior to starting the treatment (i.e. tweezing, waxing, threading). You can shave as much as you want though and as often as you want.
Laser Hair Reduction: What to Expect
Typically, after the first few treatments the hair starts to thin out and grow back more patchy than full. Sometimes toward the end of the treatments you may feel like your hair is growing back more than before, but it is actually your hair cycles syncing up and all the hair you have left is coming to the surface.
The treatment itself, depending on the area, only takes about 4-25 minutes from the first pulse to the last. It can feel like a rubber band snap, but most people are shocked by the lack of pain they end up not feeling. After you complete your sessions you still need to shave just not nearly as often, we usually recommend quarterly up-keep treatments to help you stay fuzz-free.