How Many Laser Hair Removal Sessions Do You Need?

Did you know that if you shave 3 times per week, the number of shaving sessions you do adds up to 3,900 over 25 years? People whose hair grows faster tend to shave even more. If you’re not looking forward to spending all that time (and money) on shaving, laser hair removal sessions are an excellent alternative. We offer this treatment at Skin Renewal of Tulsa in Tulsa, OK.

So, how many laser treatments are necessary? Several thousand less than shaving! The exact number will depend on your body and the area you would like to treat. Here is some information that can help determine how many sessions you will need.

All About the Laser Hair Removal Process

What Is Laser Hair Removal?

This treatment is an effective way to eliminate unwanted hairs. It utilizes state-of-the-art light technology to target the hair follicles deep within the skin, where other hair removal methods cannot reach. Hair follicles are responsible for producing hairs. By altering them, this treatment can give you smooth, hairless skin.

How Does This Treatment Work?

The FDA approved, medical-grade lasers we use emit a highly focused beam of light in short pulses. The lasers are color sensitive, making the light attracted to the melanin pigment in your hair. When your hair absorbs the light, it is converted to heat. The heat then alters the hair follicle. A few days after the treatment, the hair will fall out and the follicle will be unable to produce another hair.

Is This Treatment Safe?

Absolutely! The light that the lasers emit is attracted to your hairs, not the surrounding tissue. Therefore, it can remove your hairs without causing damage to your skin. The treatment is non-invasive and requires no downtime. You can go back to work and normal activities immediately after you leave our medspa.

When compared to other methods of hair removal, this treatment is actually safer. You don’t need to risk occasionally cutting yourself with a razer. There are no chemicals to irritate your skin as there are with the depilatory cream method. Unlike waxing, laser treatments don’t involve the discomfort of yanking each hair out by the root via hot wax. Waxing also incurs the risk of pulling off the top layer of your skin, especially if it is done incorrectly.

What Kind of Lasers Are Used?

There are many different kinds of lasers available for this treatment. We use the GentleMax Pro laser because it is the safest and most effective option. It features dual-wavelength technology, utilizing two different lasers to remove your hairs. The dual action enhances the laser’s efficacy and enables us to complete your sessions faster than with other lasers.

Who Is a Good Candidate for This Treatment?

This treatment is safe for people of all skin types and tones. Both men and women can enjoy the benefits. It is most effective when there is a contrast between the color of your hair and the shade of your skin. The good news is that this means it works the best on the darkest, most visible hairs. To increase the effectiveness of the treatment, avoid sun exposure in the time leading up to each session.

How Many Sessions Will You Need?

It Depends on Your Body

Everyone has a different amount of hair, and everyone’s hair grows at a different rate. To get rid of all your unwanted hair in a given area, we need to schedule multiple sessions in accordance with your hair growth cycles. We’ll explain all about hair growth cycles in a moment! The number of laser hair removal sessions needed varies person to person because everyone’s body is different.

Where You Want to Be Treated

Some areas of the body require more sessions than others. The most commonly treated areas for women include:

• Legs
• Underarms
• Areas of the face
• Bikini line
• Brazilian area

For most of these areas, 4-6 sessions is enough. It is rare that patients will need more than 8 sessions to get the results they want.

The Results You Want to Achieve

While most people who get laser hair removal sessions want to get rid of all their unwanted hair, some just want to reduce the amount. People who don’t need to completely remove their hairs need fewer sessions.

For example, some men request one or two sessions for their face. Rather than eliminating all the hairs, this just decreases their number, making it easier to shave. The advantage for them is that while they can still keep a beard if they choose, they will have less razer burn.

All About Hair Growth Cycles

To understand why you need multiple treatment sessions in the first place, it is important to understand hair growth cycles. When we offer laser hair removal sessions to patients, we schedule their treatments to align with their hair growth cycles, ensuring that all hairs can be treated.

The Different Stages of Growth

Every hair you have goes through the following stages cyclically:

Anagen

During this phase, the hair is active and visible above the surface of your skin.

Catagen

In this next phase, the hair transitions from growing actively to resting in a dormant state.

Telogen

The hair is dormant at this time. It remains in your skin, but it rests above the base. Beneath it, the follicle begins to produce a new hair.

Exogen

During this phase, the hair sheds itself. Once it is gone, the new one which started to grow under it during the telogen phase can come up to the surface.

How Hair Growth Cycles Affect the Number and Timing of Your Sessions

We Coordinate Your Sessions With the Phases of Hair Growth

At any given moment, you have hairs in every phase of the cycle existing on your body simultaneously. While some hairs are falling out, others are robustly in their prime. This ensures that you always have some visible hair. Unfortunately, for those of us who prefer to be hairless in certain areas, the perpetual presence of hair is not what we want.

Laser hair removal sessions are effective in eliminating hairs that are in the anagen phase. After your first session, we will wait a few weeks before performing another. During this time, a new group of hairs will enter the anagen phase, where they can be treated. We will repeat the process of performing a session and waiting until you are satisfied with the results.

We Leave an Appropriate Amount of Time Between Sessions

Each session can eliminate between 10% and 30% of your hairs. With each session, you will see progressive improvement. To target the maximum number of hairs during each session, it is best to space them between 4 and 6 weeks apart. This means that in most cases, you can be hair-free in your chosen area in less than one year.

Follow-Up Sessions

After completing their initial sessions, most people only need to come in for touch-up treatments once or twice a year. For some people, even fewer touch-ups are needed.

The Benefits

It Saves Time

For many areas of the body, this treatment can be completed in less than half an hour. For large areas such as the legs, you probably won’t need to spend more than two hours in the medspa, maximum. When you shave, you might spend 15 extra minutes in the shower. To maintain hairless skin, you could end up shaving over 3900 times in the next 25 years! If it takes you 15 minutes each time, that’s 58,500 minutes you’re wasting!

The amount of time you will spend using depilatory creams is about the same as shaving, and the process needs to be repeated with the same frequency. Waxing is done less frequently, but the results aren’t permanent, and you need to factor in time to drive to your appointment. When you consider that you only need around 6 initial sessions and one or two touch-ups every year to maintain smooth skin with laser treatments, you can see how much time this method saves.

It Saves Money

In order to maintain a lifetime of shaving, waxing, or using depilatory creams, you need to buy a lot of products. Eliminating the need to purchase razors, shaving cream, aftershave, depilatory creams and waxing appointments offsets the cost of getting laser treatments. For example, a lifetime of shaving can cost up to $10,000. You can “shave” this money off your budget by using laser treatments to achieve more lasting results.

It Reduces Irritation

Shaving, waxing, and depilatory creams are all irritating to the skin. They can result in cuts, burns, redness, ingrown hairs, and razer burn. These negative effects are augmented by the fact that the methods which cause them need to be repeated frequently to maintain smooth skin. Getting laser treatments will relieve your skin of the constant application of razers, hot wax, and/or hair-dissolving chemicals.

It Provides Smooth Skin All the Time

How often have you started to put on a pair of shorts or a swimsuit, only to realize that you forgot to shave? When you be rid yourself of unwanted hairs via laser treatments, you never have to remember to shave. You can go to the beach, dress in short sleeves, and otherwise go about your day without thinking about your hair.

Find the Number of Sessions That Is Right for You

If you want to figure out how many laser treatments you need to get the hair removal results you want, we can schedule a consultation with you. We can assess your skin type and the current condition of your hair. After talking with you about what areas you want treated, we can recommend the correct number of treatments for you.

Achieve Lasting Hair Removal Results

So, how many laser hair removal sessions are necessary to get rid of your unwanted hair for good? The answer depends on your individual needs, but most people can finish their initial treatment within 4-6 treatments.

When the sessions are done, you will enjoy the numerous benefits of a life without unwanted hair. Your skin will be healthier because you won’t experience the constant irritation of shaving, waxing, or using depilatory creams. You will be able to wear the clothing you want without always worrying about when you need to shave. The benefits will extend to your budget as well, because you won’t need to spend money on hair removal products.

Contact Skin Renewal of Tulsa in Tulsa, OK to learn more about this treatment. We will be happy to give you more information on how our treatments can provide the incredible convenience of hair-free skin.