The laser emits a beam of light, which the pigment (color) in your hair absorbs. Over time, this can destroy the hair follicle, so the hair cannot grow back. While it takes about 6 treatments from a dermatologist to destroy a follicle, the hair will grow back thinner and finer after each treatment.
If you use at-home laser hair removal, you will need to use the device for a lot longer to see results. You’ll also need to use it periodically to maintain results.
Fast facts: The following can help shed light on whether this may be an option for you:
• It can take 6 treatments more, but laser hair removal is permanent.
• People of all skin colors can safely have laser hair removal, but the person performing the procedure on people who have skin of color should have experience performing laser hair removal on darker skin tones.
• There’s no downtime.
• Men who have constant razor burn or ingrown hairs due to shaving can permanently eliminate their beard with laser hair removal. Once you’re no longer shaving, you won’t be bothered by razor burn or ingrown hairs.
• Laser hair removal won’t work on blonde, white, gray, or red hair because lasers cannot effectively target light-colored hair.
• You’ll need to keep the treated area covered and out of the sun until the skin heals.
• If you have a tan, you must wait for the tan to fade completely before it’s safe to have laser hair removal.
How to get the best results: Your results depend largely on the experience and knowledge of the person performing your procedure, so it’s essential to:
• Have an experienced doctor perform laser hair removal. While laser hair removal may look easy to perform, it can injure your skin if the person performing your treatment is inexperienced. Possible injuries include burns, blisters, infection, or dark spots.
• Find out if this is a safe and effective option for you. A board-certified dermatologist can tell you if you’re a good candidate for laser hair removal. Not everyone is.
• See your dermatologist before using an at-home laser. These at-home devices are not for everyone. There are many at-home devices from which to choose, so it can be difficult to know which one to buy.