MiraDry in Kansas City
Unwanted Body Hair

Is Laser Hair Removal Permanent?

What’s included in this article:

Is Laser Hair Removal Permanent?

We get this question every day. Winter is the perfect time to meet with your provider and discuss your laser hair removal treatment plan if you’d like to be able to see (and enjoy!) your results by summer time. Many of our clients visit us with a specific occasion in mind, such as an upcoming summer wedding or vacation, or pool season in general!

As you begin looking for a provider and doing additional research, one of the most important things to understand is whether or not laser hair removal will have permanent effects.

The Short Answer: Yes.

Depending on the size of the treatment area and the coarseness of hair, laser hair removal is an FDA-cleared, near-permanent solution for unwanted hair.

Studies show that laser hair removal (LSR) can offer a permanent reduction in hair growth – up to 80% in some cases. And even though results aren’t permanent, it is possible to permanently slow the hair growth process and thin out the hair that grows back.

This can mean saving hours and hours by removing the need to shave, pluck, or wax—not to mention saving money on the appointments and tools needed for traditional hair removal methods.

Laser hair removal can be used on virtually any area of the body, except near the eyes. AesthetiCare, located in Kansas City, has performed thousands of laser hair removal procedures on both men and women, the most popular treatment areas being:

      • Bikini area
      • Legs
      • Underarms
      • Face & Chin
      • Back
      • Chest

 

The Hair Growth Cycle

In order to understand how laser hair removal works, our providers will explain during your consultation how the hair growth process works and how our FDA-approved lasers are able to target them.
Hair grows in cycles, and many factors influence its growth. Age, ethnicity, medications, hormone levels, and even body type all influence the length, coarseness, and color of body hair.

In general, hair goes through three phases of growth: anagen, catagen, and telogen.


Phase 1: Active Growing

Anagen is the active growing phase where the hair bulb is intact. Hair grows in both directions—upward and downward. Early anagen is when the bulb is closest to the surface of the skin, and contains an abundance of melanin (pigment). This phase allows for the most effective treatment.

 

Phase 2: Regression

Catagen is a brief intermediate phase between anagen and telogen. It is a regression phase, when the lower part of the hair stops growing but has not been shed, and when the body absorbs the lower third of the follicle.

 

Phase 3: Resting

Telogen is the resting phase. The hair bulb is no longer present, and is now a club hair, which will fall out, or be pushed out of the follicle by a new anagen growing hair.


Laser hair removal is effective on hair that are in their growth or anagen phase. Hairs that continue to grow after a treatment may be in their telogen phase (not growing) or the laser may not have penetrated well enough with enough energy.

 


 

How it Works

Our special laser targets fully grown bulbs of hair and works to shatter them, which in turn prompts the surrounding skin to remove it.

 

Step 1

You’ll meet with one of our trained technicians to discuss your desired treatment area and the factors that contribute to whether or not you’ll be an ideal candidate for laser hair removal. All of our consultations are completely complimentary!

The most ideal clients to treat with laser hair removal are those with light skin and dark, coarse hair. This is because the laser technology uses melanin to target the hair follicles; the more melanin that exists in the hair and the less in the skin, the easier it will be for the laser to find and treat the hair. Anyone with white, gray, or blonde hair may not have enough pigment in their hair for the lasers to be effective at all.

Your provider will answer any questions or concerns you have prior to coming in for your treatment, as well as discuss any risks or benefit to your particular skin type. Anyone who has tanned, used a spray tan, or gone to a tanning booth should wait until the tan has faded, as the pigment in the skin absorbs the laser light and reduces the effectiveness of the treatment.

Step 2

Once you are comfortable with how the process works, you and your provider will schedule an appointment, and go over the do’s and don’t prior to your treatment.

Clients will be instructed to shave the morning of or day before their scheduled appointment. You and your provider will also discuss any pain management options that may be needed.

Step 3

Once your appointment begins, we’ll prep the area and the appropriate laser. A beam of highly focused light is absorbed by the hair and disables unwanted hair follicles. There is some mild discomfort that last only a few seconds; the heat from the laser light destroys the hair follicle, and a hair can no longer grow from it. Treatments can be 4-8 weeks apart and require 6-8 treatments in total.

There is some mild discomfort that last a few seconds; your provider will address your pain management plan prior to the treatment.

Step 4

Your provider will determine the number of additional sessions needed to reach your desired results.discomfort and recovery time are typically minimal, so you can get back to your daily routine with little hassle!

 

Benefits

Safe

Laser hair removal is a completely safe procedure, if performed by a trained professional. Our providers are certified in using the lasers and have been performing laser hair removal procedures for over 15 years. Our goal is to select the safest and most optimal laser and energy setting per individual client without causing injury, scaring, pigmentation changes or discomfort to the individual.

 

Easy to Maintain

Unlike shaving, waxing, tweezing, or plucking (ouch!) methods for getting rid of unwanted hair, laser hair removal is a near-permanent solution, which means spending less of your daily and weekly routines on repetitive and unnecessary grooming tasks.

Shorter showers and less bathroom time? Yes, please! Imagine feeling more confident than ever—with less effort than ever. That’s what many of our guests say laser hair removal has given them in their day to day lives.

 

Cost

Take a moment to add up the lifetime cost of shaving or other hair removal methods. Just traditional shaving alone will cost you thousands!

 

$3 disposable razor x 52 weeks/year x 30 years of shaving = $4,680

 

And this is just the beginning! Years and years of purchasing razors, clippers, shaving cream, tweezers, waxing treatments, and more, plus the sheer amount of time you spend, really adds up.

In the long run, laser hair removal is more efficient, effective, and saves you valuable time and effort in your daily care routine.

At AesthetiCare, this common procedure is more affordable than ever. Depending on the treatment area, sessions start at just $59!

 


 

Types of Lasers

AesthetiCare owns 4 FDA-approved laser/light systems for hair removal. With four lasers to choose from, we will be able to offer you the most effective treatment available for your skin and hair type. All our lasers are operated by highly trained technicians. And our lasers can treat all skin colors—though again, treatment is typically most effective on light skin and dark hair.

We recommend anywhere from 4-8 treatments depending on the area of the body and the color of the hair.

Beware of home lasers

Recently, lasers have been introduced to the market that claim to achieve similar results to an inpatient treatment in an office.

However, the FDA does not evaluate these products based on medical standards, but rather cosmetic. That means that there have not been nearly enough studies to determine whether or not these machines have been proven to be safe or effective for use at home.

 


 

Prepare for your Treatment

AesthetiCare suggests the following to each of our clients when they book a laser hair removal appointment.

Shave (yes, really!)

It may seem counterintuitive to shave your treatment area before your appointment. However, in order for our technicians to reach the deepest levels of your hair follicles with our lasers, it’s recommended the area be shaved prior. This helps prevent the laser from incorrectly targeting areas on the outside of the skin and concentrates its efforts on the deepest source of the hair follicle.

Please also note that shaving, waxing, and plucking are NOT the same. Do not wax or pluck 6 weeks prior to your appointment. Waxing and plucking will pull out the hair follicle we are trying to treat and will not allow the laser to find the source of the hair.

Avoid the sun

Some of our clients think it’s important to avoid sun exposure after their laser hair removal treatment. However, it’s even more important to avoid this exposure before your appointment. This is because when your skin is exposed to the sun’s rays, it produces more melanin, and may lead to skin damage during the procedure.

Be fully transparent with your provider

As previously mentioned, you’ll need to let us know about any previous experiences or treatments you have had. It is our goal to fully understand how to most safely and effectively treat you.

 


 

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does the laser hair removal take to perform?

The laser hair removal procedure can take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour or more, depending on the treatment area.

 

What are the side effects of laser hair removal?

Some varying degree of redness and swelling is to be expected. Aloe or steroid cream may be applied to help relieve any mild discomfort after your laser treatment.

 

How much does laser hair removal cost?

Depending on the treatment area, laser hair removal starts at just $59/session at AesthetiCare in Kansas City.

 

Is there a way to perform laser hair removal at home?

While many products claim to provide laser hair removal treatments at home, and while this may be tempting, it’s best to keep lasers in the hands of professionals. We have seen so many clients over the years, we have developed an excellent sense of what the skin can and cannot handle.

Get to Know AesthetiCare

AesthetiCare in Kansas City has been trained in the laser hair removal process since 2001. Our experts intimately understand the process and are able to cater to our clients and provide custom treatment plans to fit your lifestyle and budget.

But our service goes beyond our expertise. Our entire staff is dedicated to helping every single client look and feel their best every day. The relationships we build with every single client helps us understand their needs to better serve them; not to mention, we love meeting new people and hearing their stories!

 

Contact Us

Reach out today to learn more about how AesthetiCare can help you look and feel your best. We can’t wait to meet you!

 

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