Having a full head of hair on your head is a good thing. Having a stray line of hairs on your chin or your upper lip is less so if you are a woman. It’s not something to be embarrassed about. Most of us have some hair where we’d rather not have it, and this problem usually gets worse as we age. Sure, you can pluck it or shave, but these methods are temporary at best and can leave the site irritated, drawing even more attention to it. That’s where laser hair removal can help.

What is laser hair removal?

Laser hair removal uses pulses of laser light to destroy a hair’s follicle, the “root” of the hair strand. It has been successfully used commercially for more than 20 years and has been approved by the FDA since 1997. The process targets the basal stem cells in the hair follicle without damaging or heating up the surrounding tissue. The entire process is virtually pain free and takes around an hour or less.

How long does laser hair removal last?

Laser hair removal is not permanent in most cases. However, this process removes hair for much longer than other methods, such as plucking, shaving and even waxing.  While the process of laser hair removal can permanently remove hair, it is only effective when an individual hair is in a certain growth stage. Generally, not all hairs in a treatment area are in the same growth stage at the same time. Therefore, after laser hair removal, some hairs will likely grow back. We recommend that patients have four to six treatment sessions, spaced six to eight weeks apart. This allows the treatment to target most hairs while they are in the growth space.

Another point to consider is that the body is an amazing healing unit. With good rest, proper nutrition and exercise, it is likely that some of the hair follicles will grow back over time. That’s why we suggest follow up appointments to make sure that your treatment stays “permanent”.

You don’t have to just live with unwanted, and unsightly, hair. Laser hair removal can drastically improve your looks by ridding you of unwanted facial and other hair. While it’s not always permanent, it lasts much longer than other hair removal methods and, with follow up appointments, can keep your unwanted hair from reappearing.