Because only hair follicles in the active growth stage can be successfully targeted during a laser hair removal treatment, you will need multiple sessions. It could be anywhere from 4-10 treatments, spaced 4-6 weeks apart.
It’s true that the number of treatments needed to permanently remove hair from your chin will vary from person to person. But there are a few things you can do to make sure that you get the best results possible from your sessions. In this guide, we review How many laser hair removal treatments for chin, how many laser hair removal treatments does it take to permanently remove hair, is laser hair removal safe for face, and how many sessions of laser hair removal for upper lip.
Laser hair removal is a medical procedure that uses a concentrated beam of light (laser) to remove unwanted hair.
During laser hair removal, a laser emits a light that is absorbed by the pigment (melanin) in the hair. The light energy is converted to heat, which damages the tube-shaped sacs within the skin (hair follicles) that produce hairs. This damage inhibits or delays future hair growth.
Although laser hair removal effectively delays hair growth for long periods, it usually doesn’t result in permanent hair removal. Multiple laser hair removal treatments are needed for initial hair removal, and maintenance treatments might be needed as well. Laser hair removal is most effective for people who have light skin and dark hair, but it can be successfully used on all skin types.
Why it’s done
Laser hair removal is used to reduce unwanted hair. Common treatment locations include legs, armpits, upper lip, chin and the bikini line. However, it’s possible to treat unwanted hair in nearly any area, except the eyelid or surrounding area. Skin with tattoos should not be treated either.
Hair color and skin type influence the success of laser hair removal. The basic principle is that the pigment of the hair, but not the pigment of the skin, should absorb the light. The laser should damage only the hair follicle while avoiding damage to the skin. Therefore, a contrast between hair and skin color — dark hair and light skin — results in the best outcomes.
The risk of damage to skin is greater when there is little contrast between hair and skin color, but advances in laser technology have made laser hair removal an option for people who have darker skin. Laser hair removal is less effective for hair colors that don’t absorb light well: gray, red, blond and white. However, laser treatment options for light-colored hair continue to be developed.
How many laser hair removal treatments for chin
Risks
Risks of side effects vary with skin type, hair color, treatment plan and adherence to pre-treatment and post-treatment care. The most common side effects of laser hair removal include:
- Skin irritation. Temporary discomfort, redness and swelling are possible after laser hair removal. Any signs and symptoms typically disappear within several hours.
- Pigment changes. Laser hair removal might darken or lighten the affected skin. These changes might be temporary or permanent. Skin lightening primarily affects those who don’t avoid sun exposure before or after treatment and those who have darker skin.
Rarely, laser hair removal can cause blistering, crusting, scarring or other changes in skin texture. Other rare side effects include graying of treated hair or excessive hair growth around treated areas, particularly on darker skin.
Laser hair removal isn’t recommended for eyelids, eyebrows or surrounding areas, due to the possibility of severe eye injury.
How you prepare
If you’re interested in laser hair removal, choose a doctor who’s board certified in a specialty such as dermatology or cosmetic surgery and has experience with laser hair removal on your skin type. If a physician assistant or licensed nurse will do the procedure, make sure a doctor supervises and is available on-site during the treatments. Be cautious about spas, salons or other facilities that allow nonmedical personnel to do laser hair removal.
Before laser hair removal, schedule a consultation with the doctor to determine if this is an appropriate treatment option for you. Your doctor will likely do the following:
- Review your medical history, including medication use, history of skin disorders or scarring, and past hair removal procedures
- Discuss risks, benefits and expectations, including what laser hair removal can and can’t do for you
- Take photos to be used for before-and-after assessments and long-term reviews
At the consultation, discuss a treatment plan and related costs. Laser hair removal is usually an out-of-pocket expense.
The doctor will also offer specific instructions to prepare for laser hair removal. These might include:
- Staying out of the sun. Follow your doctor’s advice for avoiding sun exposure before and after treatment. Whenever you go out, apply a broad-spectrum, SPF30 sunscreen.
- Lightening your skin. Avoid any sunless skin creams that darken your skin. Your doctor might also prescribe a skin bleaching cream if you have a recent tan or darker skin.
- Avoiding other hair removal methods. Plucking, waxing and electrolysis can disturb the hair follicle and should be avoided at least four weeks before treatment.
- Avoiding blood-thinning medications. Ask your doctor about what medications, such as aspirin or anti-inflammatory drugs, to avoid before the procedure.
- Shaving treatment area. Trimming and shaving is recommended the day before laser treatment. It removes hair above the skin that can result in surface skin damage from burnt hairs, but it leaves the hair shaft intact below the surface.
What you can expect
Laser hair removal usually requires two to six treatments. The interval between treatments will vary depending on the location. On areas where hair grows quickly, such as the upper lip, the treatment might be repeated in four to eight weeks. On areas of slow hair growth, such as the back, the treatment might be every 12 to 16 weeks.
For each treatment you’ll wear special goggles to protect your eyes from the laser beam. An assistant might shave the site again if necessary. The doctor might apply a topical anesthetic to your skin to reduce any discomfort during treatment.
During the procedure
The doctor will press a hand-held laser instrument to your skin. Depending on the type of laser, a cooling device on the tip of the instrument or a cool gel might be used to protect your skin and lessen the risk of side effects.
When the doctor activates the laser, the laser beam will pass through your skin to the hair follicles. The intense heat from the laser beam damages the hair follicles, which inhibits hair growth. You might feel discomfort, such as a warm pinprick, and you’ll likely feel a sensation of cold from the cooling device or gel.
Treating a small area, such as the upper lip, might take only a few minutes. Treating a larger area, such as the back, might take more than an hour.
After the procedure
You might notice redness and swelling for the first few hours after laser hair removal.
To reduce any discomfort, apply ice to the treated area. If you have a skin reaction immediately after laser hair removal, the doctor might apply a steroid cream to the affected area.
After laser hair removal and between scheduled treatments, avoid sunlight and don’t use a tanning bed for six weeks or as directed by your doctor. Use a broad-spectrum SPF30 sunscreen daily.
Results
Hairs do not fall out immediately, but you will shed them over a period of days to weeks. This may look like continued hair growth. The repeated treatments are usually necessary because hair growth and loss naturally occur in a cycle, and laser treatment works best with hair follicles in the new-growth stage.
Results vary significantly and are difficult to predict. Most people experience hair removal that lasts several months, and it might last for years. But laser hair removal doesn’t guarantee permanent hair removal. When hair regrows, it’s usually finer and lighter in color.
You might need maintenance laser treatments for long-term hair reduction.
What about home lasers?
Lasers that can be used at home for hair removal are available. These devices might cause modest hair reduction. But there are no large studies comparing how effective these devices are compared with laser hair removal done at a doctor’s office.
Additionally, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration considers these home laser hair removal devices to be cosmetic, not medical, which means they don’t get the same level of scrutiny as other medical devices. Currently, there haven’t been large, long-term studies on how safe and effective the home machines are.
If you choose to use a home laser hair removal device, follow the instructions that come with the device to help reduce the risk of injury, especially eye injuries.
how many laser hair removal treatments does it take to permanently remove hair
The number of laser hair removal treatments required to achieve permanent hair reduction varies from person to person and depends on several factors, including the individual’s skin and hair type, the area being treated, and the specific laser technology used.
In general, it is recommended that patients undergo a series of treatments spaced several weeks apart to achieve optimal results. This is because laser hair removal is only effective on actively growing hairs, and hairs grow at different rates in different areas of the body.
Most patients will require anywhere from 6-8 treatments to achieve permanent hair reduction, although some individuals may require more or fewer sessions. After completing the initial series of treatments, patients may require periodic touch-up sessions to maintain the results.
It is important to note that while laser hair removal can provide long-lasting hair reduction, it does not guarantee complete hair removal. Some hair may still grow back, although it is usually lighter, finer, and less noticeable than before.
is laser hair removal safe for face
Fortunately, laser hair removal on the face is the one that can permanently, effectively and safely remove the facial hair, without the harmful effects that shaving or waxing can have on your face. This method works by targeting the dark hairs at the follicle and destroy it. Everyone can use laser treatment on their face without any hesitation. Laser treatments can be done on any part of your body including legs, chest, arms, bikini line and face.
No one wants unwanted hair on the face so to remove them permanently, you must go for laser treatment. The benefit of laser hair removal is that it reduces the hair safely and permanently, thus boosting your self-confidence and prevents irritation. But always keep in mind that you should get your laser treatment from a certified dermatologist to avoid any harm on your face.
Laser Hair Removal on the Face
It doesn’t matter if you are male or female for removing facial hair. There is the availability of both male and female laser facial hair removers. The face is the place which has to bear everybody’s focus. It’s not just women who need laser facial hair remover but also men. If you have hair on your face, it decreases your confidence level. To boost your confidence everywhere, you must go for laser facial hair remover.
The laser treatment is discreet enough to get you to the perfect level of smoothness and helps you to sweep your facial insecurities. Common treatment areas for women are upper lips, cheeks, chin, and sideburns while men are neckline, beard, and back of the neck. Laser hair removal treatment is not only for females but also males. You can get this treatment irrespective of your gender.
Related: Austin Laser Hair Removal Pricing and Laser Hair Removal Specials.
Solution to PCOS
The female facial hair growth is always thin but in some conditions like PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) can cause thick hair to grow on faces of females. In such a situation, waxing, tweezing and shaving is not a solution because these tools cause the hair to grow even thicker than usual. If you want to get rid of these thick hairs, get the laser treatment. Everyone has different medical or other problems but regardless of any type of problem, laser hair removal treatment is the best solution for facial hair removal.
Instructions to Prepare for Facial Laser Hair Removal
When you decide your dermatologist from whom you will get the treatment, you will go for getting the instructions to prepare for the treatment. These instructions are:
1) Staying Away from Sun
You must stay away from direct sunlight in order to protect the hair follicles of your face. Avoid the sunlight, six weeks before the laser hair removal treatment. Try to use a broad-spectrum sunscreen daily so that your skin remains smooth. Don’t use the sunless skin creams because it will harm your facial skin.
2) Avoiding Other Methods of Hair Removal
It’s always wrong to use different methods of hair removal simultaneously on your skin. Skincare is very important. Electrolysis, plucking, waxing can disturb the hair follicles. They should be avoided almost 4 weeks before the treatment.
3) Trimming
Trimming is a must before the laser hair removal treatment on the face as it cleans the hair from your face. Trimming is preferable before getting treatment as hair is removed from your face and it is good for treatment. Follicles can be easily seen if there is no hair on your targeted area for treatment.
4) Avoiding Blood-Thinning Medicines
Don’t use any blood-thinning medicines or tablets before getting ready for the treatment. It is better to ask your doctor or dermatologist as what kind of medications such as aspirin or anti-inflammatory should be avoided before taking the treatment.
Related blogs: Laser Hair Removal Bikini VS Brazilian Wax and What to do Before and After Laser Hair Removal.
Home Lasers
With the advancement in technology, there are lasers available at the market from where you can purchase it and can use it easily at home. They are easy to use but their effect can’t be like the professional or commercial lasers used by the certified dermatologists. The at-home lasers are useful. They can help in modest hair reduction but not with the same quality as in doctor’s offices.
In addition to this, the administration considers the at-home lasers to be cosmetic, not medical which means they can’t provide you with the same level of scrutiny and safety as the other medical devices. If you are choosing the at-home lasers as they are cheap then you must keep in mind to follow those additional instructions that come with the device as these instructions help to reduce the risk of injuries as the eye injuries while removing facial hairs.
Laser Facial Hair Remover’s Pain
Everyone is afraid of something and some are afraid of pain. The pain depends upon the body part, from where you want to remove unwanted hair. As the face is the sensitive area of your skin so the pain will be a little bit more than the other body parts. If you have a scale of 1-10 for measuring the pain (10 being the worst), then the pain of laser facial hair remover will lie between 2 to 8. The pain also depends on the thickness of your facial skin. Men feel little pain while getting laser treatment than women as their facial skin is hard. The upper lips are the most painful area for this treatment, but it doesn’t mean that it is not bearable. If you can bear the pain of wax on your face then the pain of laser is just nothing in comparison.
In short, laser hair removal on the face can be costly but it is effective for getting rid of your facial hairs. Don’t expect to get rid of this facial hair in just one session. Be prepared for about 6 treatments as these are normal. Facial laser hair removal does not work for everyone based on their tone of skin and hair. One must consult a dermatologist before getting the facial laser hair treatment so as to discuss all the important things that you need to know before the treatment.
how many sessions of laser hair removal for upper lip
We totally understand your concern about the length of time between treatment sessions but it is important that you must know some facts about this procedure. We listed some of them below
Stages of Hair Growth Cycle:
There are 4 stages/phases of hair growth cycle
Anagen– It is a growing phase which lasts for 2-7 years and determines the length of hair.
Catagen– It is regression phase which lasts for 10 days and hair follicle shrinks.
Telogen– It is resting phase which lasts around 3 months. Along with those hairs which are in resting phase, new hair starts to grow.
Early Anagen– It is shedding phase in which the resting hair reaches its terminal position in follicle from where it finally detach.
Out of the four stages above, Laser Hair Removal works effectively to destroy hair during Anagen (Growing Phase). The growth phases vary for different areas of the body.
Usually, for treating face, treatment sessions are 4-5 weeks apart because hair growth phases cycle in and out more rapidly.
For treating under arms and bikini area, usually treatment sessions are 6-7 weeksapart because growth cycles are slower.
For the other body areas, treatment sessions generally are 8-10 weeks apart.
Remember, that the number of treatment sessions and the gap between them greatly depend on the following factors:
- Color of hair
- Area to be treated
- Hair coarseness
- Overall hair growth density
We would like to suggest you that in order for the laser method to be effectively giving you best results, you must keep following our recommendations for the length of time between your treatments.
How to prepare for the first laser depilation session?
- Avoid tanning and using sunless tanners for at least a month to prepare for laser hair removal.
- Refrain from plucking or waxing your skin. Shaving is fine, but these other hair removal techniques can reduce the effectiveness of the laser treatment.Also, the hair should not be bleached.
- Clean the skin at the treatment site.Leave it free of cosmetics, lotions and creams.If you apply deodorant, it will be removed prior to treatment.
Is laser hair removal forever?
Permanent means forever. When we refer to permanent hair removal here, we mean no regrowth ever again. Not in one year, not in ten years; not even a single hair to compromise your sun-dappled beach silhouette.
Note that this rate of effectiveness does not refer to results after a single session. This success rate can only be achieved after the required number of laser hair treatment sessions.
The 10% to 30% regrowth rate is due to those hair follicles that have not been completely destroyed during your laser sessions, meaning that they might eventually grow back. Even so, these surviving hair follicles will usually take some time to recover and you will therefore benefit from a longer period of hairlessness than you would using other treatment methods.
Are there any side effects of laser hair removal?
The majority of people who use it find that laser hair removal is safe and well-tolerated. Although laser hair removal is incredibly safe, there are some potential side effects and risks.
Some normal side effects may occur after laser hair removal treatments, including itching, pink skin, redness, and swelling around the treatment area or swelling of the follicles (follicular edema). These side effects rarely last more than two or three days. Any side effects should be reported to your practitioner.