How Soon Do You See Results From Laser Hair Removal?

Do you feel frustrated by the amount of money and time you waste removing unwanted hair? If so, you are not alone. Many people wish there was a more effective hair removal solution. With laser hair removal at ALC Med Spa in Gurnee, IL, there is. Today, we’re taking a closer look at this revolutionary treatment.

How Soon Do You See the Results From Laser Hair Removal?

It typically takes around seven to 21 days for the hair in the treated areas to fall out. However, lasers can only be used to treat hair follicles that are in the active growth stage. You will need to come in for follow-up appointments when other hair follicles in the treatment area have transitioned into the active growth phase.

How Many Treatment Sessions Are Required for Ideal Results?

As a general rule of thumb, you should expect to need between four and eight treatment sessions to achieve your desired results. However, it is possible to need anywhere from two to a dozen sessions.

How Effective Is This Treatment?

This treatment is very effective. Several factors affect how much of the hair in your targeted area can be removed in a single session, but you can confidently expect that one session will remove between a quarter of all the localized hairs and 70% of all the hairs in the area. Remember, this treatment can only destroy the hair follicles in the area that is in the active growth phase.

How Quickly Can I Schedule a Follow-Up Treatment?

You can’t schedule a follow-up session until some of the other hair follicles in the targeted area have transitioned into the active growth phase. Sometimes, this will only take one week. However, it can take four to six weeks before some of the other hair follicles in the area transition.

The bottom line is, you can’t schedule an appointment until you start seeing hair growth in the area. However, you should keep in mind that you will probably need to schedule more frequent treatment sessions if you are targeting smaller areas. Generally, you will need to schedule appointments that are farther apart if you are targeting larger areas.

How Long Can I Expect My Treatment Results to Last?

Most people can enjoy smooth, hair-free skin for the rest of their life. However, it is possible for your skin to grow new hair follicles due to extreme hormonal shifts.

What Should I Expect Once My Treatment Session Is Complete?

Once your laser hair removal session is over, you should expect to be able to go back to your usual routine. There is no downtime necessary after this non-invasive hair removal technique. There is nothing wrong with going back to work, going to a book club, or watching your son’s sports game. There is no need to wait for your skin to heal itself after treatment due to the treatment’s non-invasive nature. There is only pain-free light therapy.

However, there are some care steps you should take after your treatment. For example, it is very important to wear sunscreen diligently after your session. We highly recommend wearing sunscreen diligently until two weeks after your final treatment session. If you are interested in preventing premature skin aging, you should wear sunscreen diligently every day, even when it is overcast outside.

What Other Steps Should I Take to Care for My Skin After Treatment?

Another very important post-treatment care step you should adhere to is keeping your skin thoroughly hydrated. We will let you know how often you should moisturize your skin during your initial consultation. Typically, you should only moisturize once per day if you have oily or normal skin. On the other hand, if your skin is usually dry, you should moisturize once in the morning and once at night. If you have normal or oily skin, you can moisturize at any time.

Is This Treatment Worth It?

Even though it will take several months to see your final results, laser hair removal is definitely worth it. There are several decent hair removal techniques, like depilatory creams and razors. However, only laser therapy for unwanted hair removal gets to the root of the problem. The others only treat the symptoms of the problem temporarily. The temporary nature of the results is due to the hair follicles remaining intact and in the active growth phase despite treatment.

Depilatory Creams and Razors

Depilatory creams and razors are popular hair removal techniques, but they are not ideal solutions. Laser therapy is a much better alternative. Usually, the results of laser therapy for unwanted hair removal last a lifetime. On the other hand, the results of using a depilatory cream or razor are extremely temporary. Typically, you have to remove your unwanted hair every three days if you use one of these methods. Some people even need to shave daily.

Unfortunately, your skin becomes more irritated the more often you shave. While you won’t get razor burn or bumps from using depilatory creams, the harsh chemicals in the creams can burn your skin. Also, depilatory creams are not cheap. Unfortunately, while shaving cream and razors may seem cheap upfront, the average woman will spend over $10,000 on shaving products over the course of her life.

Plucking and Waxing

If you opt for plucking or waxing, you will only have to remove unwanted hair every week or two. These treatment methods provide results that last longer because they remove the whole hair from the follicle, not just the part of the hair that extrudes past the surface of the skin.

The worst part of these treatment methods is they are incredibly expensive. Whether you only want to wax your legs and not your back or bikini region, you need to invest a lot of time and money into hair removal if you opt for waxing or plucking.

Am I a Good Candidate for This Hair Removal Technique?

You may be a good candidate for this hair removal technique if your goal is to achieve long-lasting hair removal. In the early days of this revolutionary technology, it was necessary to have a significant contrast between hair color and skin tone. However, there have since been many years of research and development, so it is now safe and effective for this treatment to be used, regardless of your skin tone or hair color.

Keep in mind, the greater the contrast between your skin tone and hair color, the more effective this treatment is. Therefore, if your skin is extremely pale and you have gray, red, blonde, or thin hair, it will take more treatment sessions to achieve your ideal results. However, you can still qualify for this treatment if you have realistic expectations.

Who Is a Poor Candidate for This Treatment?

You may be considered a poor candidate for this treatment if you suffer from a medical condition that causes extreme photosensitivity. You will also be considered a poor candidate for this treatment if you are taking any medication that causes extreme photosensitivity, but your doctor says you can’t stop taking it.

Also, you will be considered a poor candidate for this treatment if you are experiencing skin irritation, such as a burn, infection, or inflammation. To reduce your chance of being temporarily disqualified, make sure you diligently wear sunscreen for 14 days in advance of your treatment session.

What Other Preparation Steps Should I Be Aware of?

Another important preparation step you should take before your treatment is not to use any products containing vitamin A derivatives for a number of days prior to your scheduled session. Vitamin A derivatives are commonly used in anti-aging skincare products. Also, you should not receive certain skincare treatments, like mechanical or chemical exfoliation for a couple of weeks prior to your treatment.

Is It Okay to Shave Before My Treatment Session?

Yes, there is nothing wrong with shaving prior to your laser hair removal session. However, it is important to understand that you should not wax. It is very important that the hair extrudes at least a quarter of an inch past the surface of the skin.

Schedule Your Initial Consultation Now

As a general rule of thumb, you can expect to see the results of each session one to three weeks after your session is complete. After that, you need to wait until the hair follicles in the area enter the active growth phase. Contact us now at ALC Med Spa in Gurnee, IL to schedule your initial evaluation to determine whether this innovative hair removal method is appropriate for you.