Laser Hair Reduction

Laser hair reduction can be started after the age of 16. Some children have early puberty; in these cases, your doctor can decide and start the procedure early.

Anyone over the age of 16 with dark, coarse hair can do LHR.

People with medical conditions like autoimmune diseases, systemic lupus erythematosus, keloidal tendencies, pregnant females, patients with lightly pigmented hair or with gray hair, and children who have not yet attained puberty are not good candidates for laser hair reduction.

LHR targets thick and darkly pigmented hair.

The results are permanent. LHR destroys the pigmented hair follicles permanently and gives long-lasting results.

Laser hair reduction is mostly painless. You might experience mild discomfort, heat, and redness in the areas with thicker and darker hair, but this too settles in a few minutes.

To avoid possible side effects, all patients need to protect their skin from the sun. After laser hair removal, you should: 

  • Avoid direct sunlight from hitting your treated skin.
  • Do not use a tanning bed, sun lamp, or any other indoor tanning equipment.
  • Follow your dermatologist’s after-care instructions.

You will see some redness and swelling after treatment. This often looks like a mild sunburn. Applying a cool compress can help reduce your discomfort. 

No, laser hair removal generally does not require any real downtime. You can return to your everyday activities after the procedure. 

You will likely see the results immediately after treatment. The results vary from patient to patient. The color and thickness of your hair, area treated, type of laser used, and color of your skin all affect the results. You can expect a 10% to 25% reduction in hair after the first treatment and a 70–80% reduction after 6–8 sessions.

After finishing the treatments, most patients do not see any hair on the treated skin for several months or even years. When the hair regrows, there tends to be less of it. The hairs also tend to be finer and lighter in color. 

This depends on the type of growth, body part, and medical conditions associated with it (e.g., pcos). Most people require 6–8 sessions of laser hair reduction. Once the hair is finer and lighter in color, they might require a once-a-year maintenance session.

Most patients remain hair-free for months or even years. When some of the hair regrows, it will likely be less noticeable. To keep the area free of hair, a patient may need maintenance laser treatments. 

The most common side effects are minor and last 1–3 days. These side effects include: 

  • Discomfort
  • Swelling
  • Redness

Other possible side effects (like blistering, infections, scarring, skin darkening, etc.) are rare when laser hair removal is performed by a dermatologist or under the dermatologist’s direct supervision.

It is advised that you follow both the before-treatment instructions and the after-treatment instructions, which will greatly reduce your risk of side effects. 

This varies from patient to patient. Removing hair often requires a series of laser treatments. Most patients can have laser hair removal once every 4 to 6 weeks.

People of all types of skin colors can safely have laser hair removal performed without any side effects if performed under the supervision of an experienced dermatologist.