"If I get laser hair removal, is it true it never grows back?"
"I'm exhausted from shaving and waxing all the time — how many sessions until it's over?"
These are the first things people looking into hair removal ask.
Hello, I'm Director Kwon Si-jin at DA Clinic Myeongdong ^^
We're getting ready to open our doors in Myeongdong soon, and since so many people have been weighing up hair removal ahead of our opening, we wanted to put together this overview for your information first.
If you're worn out by shaving and waxing, we completely understand that feeling.
That said, if you take the phrase 'permanent hair removal' literally as 'it never grows back again' and get the treatment on that basis, it's easy for your expectations and the result to diverge and leave you disappointed. Let us start by explaining what this phrase actually means, and therefore what you can and can't expect from it.
Laser Hair Removal Doesn't 'Burn Off' the Hair
Laser hair removal isn't a treatment that burns off the hair itself. Rather, the melanin pigment inside the hair absorbs the light, and the heat that generates stimulates the follicle (the root that produces the hair).
Let me clear up one misconception first.
It doesn't remove the hair on the surface; it targets the 'factory' that makes hair grow back.
That's why, for the first few days right after the treatment, it can actually look like the hair is falling out as the singed hairs work their way out.
It's Closer to 'Permanent Hair Reduction' Than 'Permanent Hair Removal'
To put it precisely, laser hair removal is less a treatment that reduces hair completely to zero, and closer to a treatment that gradually reduces the density and thickness of the hair in stages.
Medically, too, the term 'permanent hair reduction' (a state where hair decreases) is considered more accurate than 'permanent hair removal'.
Over successive sessions the hair turns finer and lighter, and the speed at which it grows slows down as well.
Rather than expecting "one and done for life," it'll be easier on your mind to see it as a process that greatly eases the burden of upkeep. (responses differ for each person)
There's a Reason It Doesn't End in a Single Session
There's a clear reason the laser can't clear all the hair in one go.
Hair has a growing phase (anagen), a stopping phase (catagen), and a resting phase (telogen), and what responds well to the laser is 'anagen' hair rich in melanin.
Only a portion of all your hair is in the anagen phase at any given time, so you have to have it done in several sessions timed to the cycle in which the resting hairs come up.
That's why it's usually done over several sessions spaced a few weeks apart, and the number of sessions needed varies by area and hair quality.
Does It Hurt a Lot, and How Is Painless Hair Removal Different?
There are really a lot of people who hesitate because of the pain.
The older method felt like firing strong energy all at once, so the stinging was considerable.
These days there's also a method (so-called painless hair removal) that builds up low energy quickly and repeatedly while cooling the surface, so the stimulation can be kept much gentler.
Also, the wavelength that absorbs well differs depending on skin tone and hair color, so it's important to design the approach to match your condition.
That said, let me mention in advance that 'painless' doesn't mean the pain is zero, and how much you feel it varies by individual.
These People Should Take an Extra Moment to Check
Laser hair removal isn't a treatment casually recommended for every situation.
Freshly sun-tanned skin has a lot of surface melanin, so the stimulation can be greater; if you've just tanned, it's safer to postpone.
Also, white hair with almost no color and very light vellus hair have little melanin, so the response can be low.
If you're pregnant, taking certain photosensitizing medications, or have herpes or inflammation in the treatment area, it's best to check your condition first and then decide whether to proceed.
Hair has a cycle too
The real reason one session doesn't finish it is that not all hairs are in the same state.
Even within one area, hairs that are growing, hairs that are resting and hairs about to shed are all mixed together.The laser is described as acting mainly on the hairs that are growing.
So one session clears only what was growing at that moment, and the rest stays as it is.When those begin to grow later, another session is needed.That's the structure.
It's also why the interval between sessions is fixed. Too early and the hair isn't growing yet, so the response is small; too late and the window has passed.
And because the cycle differs by area, the recommended interval differs too.It's why the face and the legs aren't on the same schedule.
Skin tone and hair colour are the measures
Laser hair removal is described as targeting the pigment in the hair.So pale hair tends to respond weakly.
Skin tone is considered alongside.If pigment has risen in the skin — right after tanning, for instance — the energy can be absorbed by the skin too, raising the irritation.
That's why you'll be asked about recent sun exposure before the treatment.If you've been advised to postpone right after a summer holiday, this is the reason.
At our Myeongdong clinic we have GentleMax Pro Plus for hair removal.
What to attend to before and after
With hair removal, preparation and aftercare change the result considerably.
- Shaving beforehandmethods that pull the hair out (waxing, tweezing) are best avoided. Remove the target and the response weakens
- Avoiding tanningpigment risen in the skin can raise the irritation
- The days aftersafer to avoid activities that add a lot of heat, and strong friction
- Sun protectionrecovering skin makes pigment easily
A few days after the treatment there's a period where hair appears to be pushing out. It's described as treated hairs working their way free rather than new growth, but without knowing that it's easy to feel "it isn't working."
Redness or a bumpy response can linger a day or two.It generally settles, but if blisters form or it runs long, contact where you had the treatment.
- It is closer to permanent hair reduction than permanent removal
- Hair grows in cycles, so it is done across several sessions
- The right method differs by skin tone and hair colour
FAQ
Q. Does it really never grow back?
A. Laser hair removal is less a treatment where 'not a single strand ever grows back' and closer to a treatment that greatly reduces the density and thickness of hair to ease the burden of upkeep.That's why medically, too, the term 'permanent hair reduction' is considered more accurate than 'permanent hair removal'. Over successive sessions the hair turns finer and lighter and the growth speed slows, but depending on hormonal changes or your constitution, some hair may come back up, so some people continue with maintenance care. The number of sessions needed and the degree of maintenance vary by area, hair quality, and skin tone, so it's good to keep in mind that there are individual differences.
Q. What about shaving or waxing before and after the treatment?
A. Before the treatment, it's usually best to come in with the surface hair trimmed by shaving. If long surface hair is left as is, energy is consumed at the surface and it's hard for it to reach the follicle sufficiently.That said, it's best to avoid waxing or tweezing that pulls hair out by the root for a few weeks before the treatment. The laser targets the melanin remaining in the follicle, so if you've pulled the root out, the target to aim at disappears.After the treatment, to reduce irritation, refrain from saunas, intense exercise, and hot baths that day, and it's good to be careful about sun protection.
Q. About how many sessions should I have?
A. It varies by area and hair quality, but because of the hair growth cycle, it's usually done over several sessions spaced a few weeks apart. Since only a portion of all your hair is in the anagen phase that responds well to the laser at any given time, you have to repeat it in step with the cycle in which the resting hairs come up in order to reduce the density in stages. Areas like the underarms, where the follicles are dense and the hair thick, and facial areas mixed with vellus hair can differ in response and in the number of sessions needed. So rather than nailing down the number of sessions at the start, it's more reasonable to adjust the interval and number of sessions together as you watch how things progress.
So the second visit feels lighter
I've said a lot, but this one line is what stays.
Laser hair removal isn't 'one and done for life' but a treatment that reduces hair density in stages in step with the hair cycle.
What I asked at the opening, I answer here.
If you're worn out from shaving and waxing every time, it's fine to look at it as a way to ease that burden.Just please keep in mind that the number of sessions and the results vary by individual.
DA Clinic Myeongdong is set to open soon.We'll share news of our opening and treatment information first on our blog and Instagram ^^
Thank you for reading this long piece.This was Director Kwon Si-jin at DA Clinic Myeongdong.
This column is an informational article meant to provide general medical information, and the effects and side effects of treatments may vary by individual. DA Clinic Myeongdong is set to open soon. (Medical Service Act Art. 56)