Laser Hair Reduction

Laser hair reduction or LHR is not laser hair “removal” and at the onset, we would like to tell everybody that lasers can reduce the hair growth significantly to about 90 to 95% but cannot completely remove all hair from a particular region. It is a misconception and a marketing gimmick, wherein people are saying that they can permanently remove hair. Yes, we can permanently reduce the hair.

Principle

So, exactly on what principle does a laser work?

Lasers are a form of very focused light ie a form of energy which is absorbed by a very particular color and can penetrate a certain depth in body. This light energy is then transformed into heat which causes destruction of the root of the hair follicle and thus that particular hair stops to grow.

Why multiple sessions?

One must understand that at a particular time, only the hair that are in the growth phase(anagen) will be targeted by laser. In our body, depending on the area, there is a percentage of hair which is in the growing phase and rest in the dormant phase(catagen & telogen). Only the hair in the Growth (Anagen) phase will be affected by the laser hair reduction whereas those in the dormant stage (catagen and telogen) phase will not be affected.

For example, on face-  60% of the hair are usually in the growth phase but around 40% are dormant whereas in body especially in the back area only 30-40% are in the growth phase and 60-70% dormant and so, we need multiple sessions of laser hair removal to target all the hair.

Gap between Sessions

The sessions are usually scheduled three to six weeks apart depending on the speed of hiar growth in an area of the body. For example, growth on face is faster and thus sessions can be scheduled at three to four weeks. Whereas growth on the back is slower and should be scheduled between four to six weeks for best effect of the session.

Which laser wavelenght is best for your skin for laser hair reduction.

So largely there are three types of lasers which are proven to be effective for laser hair reduction. For Indian skin, that is type three to five Fitzpatrick, 808nm(Diode)   is considered one of the best. The 1064 nm Nd YAG laser is the safest of the three whereas, the 755 Alexandrite is best suited for very light superficial hairs.

At Panache we use triple wavelength laser, which is a combination of 755nm, 808nm(Diode) and 1064nm which incorporates the advantages of all the three lasers and does gives better results compare to a single wavelength laser.

Speed of procedure and pain of LHR.

It is very important to decide the correct energy for a particular area because, if the energy is given too much, it can cause burn to your skin and if it is too less, it will not affect the hair at all.

The procedure should be monitored properly so, that the results are good it is not just the machine but the expertise of the treating Doctor that results in a good laser hair reduction procedure.

Many medical conditions like PCOS or PCOD causes an hormonal imbalance causing a lot of hair growth in females. Diagnosing such conditions and treating them is an important part

of the overall treatment of laser hair reduction.

Areas that can be treated with LHR

Areas that can be treated with a laser are most commonly the face especially the upper lip, the chin area and the side locks in females and beard shaping for males. The arms, the legs, the bikini area and the back in front of chest.

Sittings of LHR

Though you can appreciate a lighter growth after even the first treatment, usually, a person requires a minimum of four to six sittings to see an appreciable reduction or to target most of the hairs. Thus a total of six to eight settings is recommended.

Summary

One should understand that laser hair reduction will target the growing hair. And if new hair, or new follicles are forming, they need to be targeted again as and when they appear. The major advantage of laser hair removal is because it causes significant reduction in growth and thus reduces significantly and almost abolishes the need for frequent waxing or hair removal procedures. The growth which used to appear in a week’s time will now come in about six months to a year’s time after proper treatment.

Laser hair reduction is a science which involves physics that is the light, the laser and the biology that is your skin type and your hair and the combination of the understanding of both the subjects is necessary and thus relying on untrained people for your laser hair reduction or going to beauty salons for laser hair reduction is not recommended.

One should go to proper doctor who deals with aesthetic patients have a good machine understands the principles of laser hair reductionand get their treatment done by them for proper result.