Miami Residents Ask: How Many Treatments are Required for Laser Hair Removal?

Shaving, waxing, and plucking are an unpleasant part of your hygiene routine, but having unwanted hair is even more troublesome. With laser hair removal, you can manage that unwanted hair quickly and easily. Best of all, the results may be permanent. The most common question we receive about laser hair removal is, “How many treatments are required for laser hair removal?”

How Does Laser Hair Removal Work?

Shaving cuts the hair at the surface and plucking or waxing yanks the hair out of the follicle. None of these techniques affect the way the hair grows, so soon after you treat your unwanted hair, it comes right back. Laser hair removal is unique because it changes the follicle so that it does not grow hair as well as before treatment. With repeat treatments, the follicle may stop producing hair altogether.

Why Do I Still Have Hair After Laser Hair Removal?

Every hair on your body follows a set growth cycle that has four stages. In the first stage (anagen), the hair is growing. Most of the hair that you have right now is in this stage. Next comes catagen, or the transition stage. Over two to three weeks, hair growth stops, and the connection to the blood supply is disconnected. In stage three or telogen, the hair rests inside the follicle, yet receives no nutrients from the bloodstream. This is when a new hair starts to form under the old hair shaft. In the fourth and final stage, the hair falls out of the follicle. If you see hair after your laser hair treatment, chances are that those hairs are in different stages of growth and will fall out in the days or weeks after your laser hair treatment.

How Many Treatments Do I Need to Eliminate All the Hair?

The number of treatments to remove all the hair varies by person, hair type and treatment area. Dr. Lewen uses the LightSheer® Duet™ system for laser hair removal. This system is proven to reduce treatment times by up to 75% compared to other laser hair removal systems. Most of the hair will be gone with the first treatment, but you may need some spot treatments over the following weeks. Each treatment takes 20 minutes or less, and typically we can achieve total hair removal with two to three treatments.

Find Out More About Laser Hair Removal at Lewen Cosmetic Surgery

If you are interested in laser hair removal, contact Lewen Cosmetic Surgery to schedule a consultation. Dr. Lewen uses the LightSheer® Duet™, considered the “Gold Standard” of laser hair treatments.