Why Doesn’t Laser Hair Removal Always Permanently Remove Hair?

Laser Hair Removal is now one of the most common ways to get rid of unwanted hair, and done right, can definitely provide permanent hair removal. But the effectiveness of Laser Hair Removal is dependent upon a number of factors, including (i) the variety of laser being used, (ii) the color of your hair, (iii) the color / kind of your skin and (iv) the phase of the hair in the hair growth cycle.

There are at least 5 common laser types used for Laser Hair Removal nowadays. The best laser type for you will depend on the combination of you hair color and skin type. And even if you get it all right, you still might not be left with permanent hair removal right away. You see, the answer lies in the hair growth cycle, and more distinctly, what stage of the cycle your problem hair is in.... sounds complex - it is !

Before we learn about the hair growth cycle, it is critical to understand just how Laser Hair Removal literally works. That is, to understand specifically how you can obtain permanent hair removal, getting an insight into the laser process is crucial.

The laser process doesn't actually physically remove the unwanted hair. The energy from the laser actually travels through the skin, and is absorbed by the pigment in the hair follicle and shaft. When this energy is soaked into a hair, the follicles are damaged, which then impairs that distinct hairs capability to grow. Eventually the hair will fall out, typically within a matter of weeks.

Getting knowledge of how the laser works is critical. You need to always remember that the laser doesn't just make the hair fall out right away. It actually impairs the ableness of a hair to grow, causing it to eventually fall out. Now that we have a brief understanding of how the laser works, it is time to get an appreciation of how the hair growth cycle impinges upon the permanence of laser hair removal.

For permanent hair removal, the hair needs to be in the right stage of the hair growth cycle, and if it is, you might not need further Laser Hair Removal treatment.
You see, the hair growth cycle consists of three stages, and the permanent nature of Laser Hair Removal is more predictable when the hair is in one stage particularly - the growth stage.

A hair will go through 3 stages in its lifetime : (1) Active/Anagen (2) Regressive/Catagen (3) Resting/Telogen. Laser hair removal is more effectual in the Anagen stage where the hair contains the most pigment, and is most affected by the laser light. If the laser treatment is applied when the hair is in either of the 2 other phases, then the probability of permanent hair removal is less.

Although hair is primarily the same thing from person to person, the way an individual's hair grows is so unique, owing to many factors including: weight, metabolism, age, genetics and environmental conditions. However, regardless of how these factors act upon individual hair growth, hair itself grows through three differing phases:

1. The ACTIVE or ANAGEN growth phase, encompasses approximately 85 % of our body hair at any given point in time and can last up to several years. During this stage, the hair shaft and follicle has an affluence of pigment and is most affected by the laser light.

2. The REGRESSIVE or CATAGEN phase is the period during which the hair ceases to grow but is not yet shed. This phase often lasts a few weeks comprising about 3 - 4% of our total body hair at any given moment in time. The laser will work in this stage, but if it is late in this part of the cycle, a new hair might already be coming through and the new hair will not be affected by the laser.

3. The RESTING or TELOGEN phase lasts 5 - 6 weeks, at the end of which the hair falls out and the new hair emerges. The new hair mightn't be affected by the laser because it will not have pigment in it yet, remembering that the laser actually relies on the pigment to find the hair. Approximately 10-13% of our body hair is in this phase at any one time.

So now we understand the growth cycle of hair, it needs to be asked, "Is permanent hair removal actually possible?" The answer is Yes, Laser Hair Removal can literally provide a level of permanency. As you can see, if a hair in the Active/Anagen stage is revealed to the laser, then that hair will most likely be killed permanently. If a hair that is in either of the other 2 stages is subjected to the laser, then that hair will most likely be killed, but the new hair coming through will still grow.

So to achieve permanent hair removal, you will more than likely need multiple laser treatments. You could be lucky - your first Laser hair removal treatment will permanently remove all of your problem hair, but the possibility is that you will need a number of sessions at set intervals to ensure that you get to the hair when it is in the first stage of growth. And that's all there really is to know, permanent Laser Hair Removal is definitely possible !