3. How does laser hair removal work?

In order to know how laser hair removal works we have to speak about the structure of the hair.

The hair forms in a pouch-like structure below the skin called a hair follicle.

What we see as hair is actually the hair shaft, which is the keratinized, hardened tissue that grows from this follicle. Deep in the skin is the hair root and here is where the laser works.

The hair root is destroyed or disabled by sending a beam of light to a group of hair follicles for a millisecond. The laser beam finds the hair follicles by targeting the melanin, that is the substance giving skin and hair the dark color.

The light energy is absorbed by the pigment in the hair follicle and the hair shaft with no harm for the skin. The surrounding skin may be protected by a gel, spray or cooled tip pressed against the skin.

Hair grows differently, depending on age, weight, metabolism, hormones, ethnicity, medications, and other factors. However, there arethree stages during the growth cycle:

1. the active growth stage, which lasts up to several years. At any given time, the majority (85%) of our body hair is in this phase. During this stage, the hair has an abundance of melanin. The hair follicles in the first stage of growth are the darkest and absorb the most energy.
   
2. the regressive stage, which lasts about two weeks, during which the hair stops growing but is not yet shed. About 3 - 4% of our body hair is in this phase at any given time.
   
3. the resting stage, which lasts 5 - 6 weeks, at the end of which the hair falls out and a new hair begins to form. Approximately 10-13% of our body hair is in this phase at any one time.

Because all the hair in a treated area may not be in the active growth stage, more than one treatment may be necessary to remove the hair that subsequently enters the growth phase.

The results of laser hair removal are quite predictable. 90% of people who undergo this procedure usually have permanent hair loss. In the remaining 10%, hair loss just does not happen.

Usually after each session, most of the treated hairs by the laser fall out. After about six weeks the hair follicles that have survived gradually start growing back. But on the average with each session, approximately one third of the hairs treated never return back and, therefore, are permanently removed. 
 
The remaining hairs tend to be lighter in color and also smaller in size. People are on the average satisfied with three to five treatments separated by two months apart. Individuals with darker colored skin may need more laser hair removal sessions as their skin may require lower energy levels in order to be a safe treatment.

Go to Faq 4 ("What side effects can it have?")