Laser hair reduction: what a course can and cannot do

Laser damages the follicle only while it is in its active growth phase, and at any given moment only a proportion of your hair is in that phase. Each session therefore treats the follicles currently susceptible, which is why spacing sessions correctly matters as much as the sessions themselves.

Face and underarm hair cycles faster than leg hair, so facial sessions are typically spaced four to six weeks apart while limbs are spaced six to eight.

The honest term is reduction. Most patients see a substantial decrease in density and thickness, with remaining hair finer and slower to return, and many need occasional maintenance sessions afterwards.

Clinics advertising permanent removal are describing something the technology does not reliably deliver. A plain explanation of expected results is a better sign of a clinic than a bigger promise.

Three situations account for most disappointment. Light, grey or fine vellus hair lacks the pigment the laser targets. Waxing or threading between sessions removes the target, so the laser has nothing to act on. And hormonally driven facial hair keeps being stimulated unless the underlying cause is addressed.

That last point matters especially for women with facial hair, where conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome are common and worth assessing before a course begins.