Is Laser Hair Removal Permanent?

As thoughts of spring fill the air, it’s also time to think about summer and beach season. April is an ideal time to start a laser hair removal program with Bayview General Medicine in Fort Lauderdale. Because of the way your body hair grows, several sessions are typically the minimum to achieve a satisfactory level of hair loss for most patients. 

Fast, easy, and well-tolerated, laser hair removal is long-lasting and trouble-free. As with many medical aesthetic treatments, patient response can vary, from the number of treatments needed to the extent and permanence of hair removal. Consulting with the laser hair removal specialists at Bayview General Medicine is the best way to learn what you can expect from treatment. 

How laser hair removal works

Lasers deliver energy in the form of light rays, much like the sun. Unlike daylight, however, any lasers emit only a single wavelength of light. It’s this principle that makes lasers an ideal tool for terminating hair growth. 

Body hair originates from bulb-shaped pores called follicles. These hair-producing components have a cycle of activity that’s staggered between follicles so you always have hair present, when other follicles are in growth or renewal stages. 

When follicles are actively growing hair, they’re at their darkest and have the greatest contrast against surrounding skin. A tuned hair removal laser emits light that’s absorbed by the follicle but not by the surrounding skin. When a follicle is heated to a certain point, it’s no longer viable. The follicle is disabled or destroyed, and it no longer produces hair. 

A series of treatments are necessary, since not all follicles are simultaneously in the growth phase and won’t heat sufficiently in response to laser treatment. Factors, such as the part of the body being treated, as well as your individual hair growth conditions, determine how many treatments are necessary to achieve your hair removal goals. 

Is laser hair removal permanent? 

Laser treatment can damage hair follicles to the point where they can no longer produce new hair. From the perspective of a single follicle, laser hair removal can be permanent. However, there are an estimated 5 million follicles in the human body, so the answer becomes more complex. 

Some follicles are damaged by laser treatment but not fully disabled. They may be in a state of dormancy that lasts much longer than other hair removal methods, but eventually hair will regrow. Sometimes, new hair growth may be finer than it was originally. 

Laser hair removal isn’t truly permanent, but it’s the longest lasting hair removal treatment, and many patients will see a significant reduction in body hair production in treated locations. Effectively, some patients may be satisfied enough with this reduction to consider themselves permanently treated. Others may need occasional maintenance treatments. 

The best way to know what you can expect is to talk with a specialist at Bayview General Medicine. We can analyze your skin and hair types and predict — based on our experience — how your body will likely respond to treatment. Book your appointment by phone or online to start the process that will keep you smooth all summer and beyond.