How Does Laser Hair Removal Work?

Laser hair removal is a medical procedure that uses laser light to remove unwanted hair. A laser light beam is passed through the skin, targeting the dark pigment, called melanin, in your hair. When the light beam hits the hair follicle (where hair growth originates), the intense heat destroys the hair follicle instantly.

During the procedure the upper layer of the skin is compressed and cooled with the special cooling hand piece. This protects the skin and makes the laser light more effective. Then the laser pulses for a fraction of a second, just long enough to heat up the hair and destroy the follicle's ability to re-grow.

Hair cycles through both growth and dormant phases, with each follicle active at different periods. The initial treatment ensures that all follicles in the active phase are treated, however the dormant hairs must move into the active phase before they can be treated. For this reason, we recommend a series of treatments which will cover all hairs at different points in the cycle. The number of required sessions for full hair removal varies with each individual.

Although some areas of the body are more sensitive than others, most patients report little or no discomfort. Topical anesthetics may be applied prior to treatment for those with sensitive skin.