How Many Treatments Will I Need With Laser Hair Removal?

You’ve tried everything – shaving, waxing, plucking – and still those stubborn hairs keep coming back faster than ever. Is there any way to get a more permanent solution?

Absolutely! At Associates in Family Medicine, Dr. Mahshid M. Hamidi and our staff offer laser hair removal for our patients looking for silky smooth skin with no muss and no fuss. Many of our patients ask how many treatments they’ll need. Here’s what our expert has to say.

What is laser hair removal?

Lasers are devices that produce a narrow, focused beam of light at a single wavelength. When used for laser hair removal (LHR), we aim the light at the treatment area, and it’s absorbed by the melanin (pigment) in the hairs. The absorbed light energy is converted into heat energy, which damages the hair follicles, preventing or delaying new hair growth.

LHR only targets hairs that are in the active growth (anagen) stage, which is about 85-90% of the total amount. And hair can grow for years before it enters the resting (telogen) phase. That means you’ll need several sessions for each treatment area to ensure all the active follicles are destroyed and all the old hairs are removed.

LHR can be used on all skin types, but it’s most effective for people with light skin and dark hair for two reasons: dark hair contains more pigment, so it absorbs more laser light, and light skin contains less melanin, so the treatment doesn’t damage the skin surrounding the follicles. New technologies, though, have made LHR more effective for people with dark skin.

On which area(s) can you use LHR?

LHR can be used effectively on any part of the body, including your:

Arms
Bikini area
Chin
Legs
Underarms
Upper lip

You can remove hair from one area at a time or multiple areas at the same time. There’s no downtime required following treatment, though you should avoid direct sunlight and tanning beds.

What is the procedure like?

Once Dr. Hamidi determines you’re a good candidate for laser hair removal, she protects your eyes with goggles, trims the hair in the treatment area, and applies a topical anesthetic so you won’t feel a thing.

She places the handheld device on your skin and activates it. Each pulse of the laser can treat an area about the size of a quarter in about a second. Small areas like the upper lip can be treated in under a minute, and large areas, such as the back or legs, may take up to an hour.

Following the procedure, the doctor uses a cooling gel to soothe any discomfort, and you can apply ice at home to relieve any redness or swelling.

How many treatments will I need?

Since LHR only targets actively growing hairs, you’ll need several sessions to ensure you get everything. Dr. Hamidi generally recommends 4-6 treatments over a period of several weeks, and you can expect your results to last for years – even longer if you come in for periodic maintenance treatments.

If you’re looking to ditch the razors and embrace smooth and hair-free skin, call Associates in Family Medicine at 858-565-6394 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Hamidi, or send us a message online. We also accept telehealth appointments.