We love laser hair removal because it can destroy hair permanently.
You will need more than one session and SOME people may get the odd stray hair appearing now and then – so let’s dig a bit deeper and explain why.
We all know that whipping a razor across your armpits, down your legs – or even across your upper lip and chin – is quick. But when you’re rushing, it’s so easy to nick your skin and make it bleed and the stubbly growth is back the next day.
Waxing lasts longer, but some people find it uncomfortable and you still have to go through it every few weeks – meaning that the cost really adds up.
Hair removing cream is smelly and messy and also has to be used regularly.
So laser hair removal is a great alternative if you are looking for a permanent solution that leaves you feeling smooth, sexy and confident.
But, how permanent is ‘permanent’ laser hair removal?
Well, to answer that, let’s explain how hair grows and how our gold-standard lasers destroy it.
Every hair has a limited life span. GREAT!
But the bad news is that more hairs keep growing to replace the ones that fall out.
Every hair goes through three stages of growth:
- The anagen phase is when the hair is firmly attached to the root under your skin and growing. It’s being fed by a blood vessel. That’s why when you pluck a hair out with a pair of tweezers (OUCH!) you sometimes see a tiny dot of blood. At this point in its lifecycle, the hair has lots of melanin – the stuff that gives it colour. This is the best time to zap those pesky hairs with our fantastic lasers. The beam of light from the laser is absorbed by the melanin. The light converts to heat as it passes through the skin and heats up the root of the hair destroying it and stopping another hair from ever growing there again. HURRAY!
- If your hair isn’t destroyed by our laser, it moves into the catagen phase where it stops growing. The bulb at the bottom of the hair stops producing melanin and the hair starts detaching from the root.
- The final stage is called the telogen phase where the hair gets ready to fall out. Afterwards, the whole cycle starts again with a new hair taking root.
So, at any one moment, some of the hair on your face and body will be in stage one, some will be in stage two and some will be in stage three. When the hair is in catagen or telogen phase, laser hair removal won’t permanently destroy it although it may make it grow back finer and less noticeable. That’s why we recommend booking six or more sessions over a period of time to catch more hairs when they reach the anagen phase.
We always offer you a free consultation before you start laser hair removal with us so we can assess your skin and give you an idea of how many sessions it will take to get the results you want. Laser hair removal works best on coarse, dark hair. Win-win, because that’s the stuff we hate most!
If the hair you want treating is fine and light it’s not quite as effective because there’s less melanin in fair hair. But, about 60% or more of that hair will be gone for good.
After you’ve completed your laser hair removal sessions, we recommend the occasional top-up treatment to zap the odd hair that appears. Next, we’ll tell you why that happens.
Why will some hairs appear after laser hair removal treatment?
We offer laser hair removal for men as well as women, but there are a few reasons why women will get the odd hair growing back over time.
One reason is that hormones have a role in making hair grow. This is why, when you are pregnant or approaching the menopause, you may get hairs growing in places where hair has never grown before. I know! It’s so unfair!
There are some medical conditions that cause you to grow new hairs on your face and body. These include polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS – literally meaning ‘of many cysts’). This affects the ovaries and the level of several male-type (androgen) hormones in the blood.
Problems with your thyroid gland and your adrenal glands can also result in too many male hormones flowing round your body and causing more hair to grow in unwanted places.
Some drugs can also prompt new hair growth. These include steroids, some types of contraceptive pill and hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
How can I find out more about laser hair removal?
Our business has grown because we are great at what we do! Don’t just take our word for it. We have testimonials from lots of happy customers who tell us that laser hair removal has changed their lives.
We’ve invested in the most effective lasers, from the award-winning Lumenis company, and our staff are all fully-trained experts in how to use them. They’re also really nice people, chosen for their friendliness as well as their professional expertise. You’ll love taking a break from the world and relaxing while you enjoy your treatment.