Laser Hair Removal - Related FAQ's

Q: How many treatments will I need for laser hair removal of my back? I am a 24 year old man with very dark hair and light skin.

A: You may be an ideal candidate for laser hair removal. About 80 percent of patients can notice about 80% reduction after 8 monthly treatments. It is not unusual for patients to need additional treatments at the end of the series, or a few years later.

Q: I had laser hair removal of the legs and I developed a bacterial infection of the hairs. Why?

A: Laser hair removal does not remove skin and should not allow entry of bacteria to create an infection. If you were shaved right before the laser or the day before, it might have allowed bacteria to enter the hair follicle. I doubt it would be a colonized reservoir of numbing cream. It is also possible you had a herpetic simplex cold sore viral outbreak. The best way to understand what is going on is to see your doctor after the next eruption occurs if it does.

Q: Can laser hair removal work to limit my hair growth that I have had for many years from an ovarian hormonal disease?

A: Yes! If the hair growth is more than normal it might even respond better to the laser energy. The dense pigment in the bulb of the hair shaft absorbs the light energy from the laser and heats up and damages the follicle so no further hair growth occurs.

Q: Laser hair removal for the back vs. electrolysis?

A: Laser hair removal is so much more efficient than electrolysis because of the speed. Electrolysis may have a greater chance of permanent hair removal per hair treated but to treat a whole back will take many, many hours and visits compared to laser hair removal.

Q: Why does my doctor want me to shave my hair on the arms before laser hair removal. I heard this will make my hair grow in more thick and longer. Is it true?

A: It is a fallacy that hair grows in coarser, wider, longer or more quickly after shaving. If hair is not shaved prior to laser hair removal, then the absorption of energy in the hair will be above the skin surface and this can burn the epidermis. Shaved hair, allows the energy to be absorbed by the hair shaft below the epidermis with more effectiveness and safety.

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