Many people wonder why a single laser treatment cannot permanently eliminate all hair. The answer lies in the complexity of human hair growth. Each person has approximately five million hairs, with men typically having a few hundred thousand more than women. Each hair functions independently, following its growth cycle.
Why is this significant?
Our hair undergoes various stages of growth, and effective laser hair removal requires targeting hairs during the correct phase. This necessity means that achieving substantial hair reduction requires multiple sessions.
Permanent Hair Reduction Explained
The FDA endorses several types of lasers for what it terms "permanent hair reduction." This designation reflects the practical limitations of laser treatments. Lasers effectively target hairs in the anagen (growth) phase but are ineffective against hairs in the catagen (transitional) or telogen (resting) phases. During these latter phases, hairs detach from their follicles and cease receiving nourishment, making them impervious to laser effects. Given the millions of hairs each person has, all in different phases, it's clear why complete hair removal in one session is impossible.
Additionally, hair follicles can repair themselves after being damaged by lasers, especially with hormonal changes, or if the damage is partial, potentially leading to hair regrowth.
Research indicates that laser hair removal achieves about 85 to 90 percent permanence in hair reduction, a statistic that aligns with patient experiences.
Thus, the FDA uses the term "permanent hair reduction" rather than "permanent hair removal." Nevertheless, reducing 90 percent of unwanted hair significantly improves over temporary methods like shaving, plucking, or waxing, often leading to razor burn and ingrown hairs.
Ready to start your journey to less unwanted hair? Contact NP. Khrystyna Nehoda and our team at (954) 737-1250 to schedule your laser hair removal session.