Hair regrowth after laser hair removal: Everything you need to know

Regrowth after laser hair removal

Laser hair removal is a permanent treatment. But what if you start experiencing regrowth? If you’ve been having laser treatment and then begin spotting some hair regrowth, you can end up feeling a little despondent. You might even start to doubt that laser treatment is a permanent hair removal method.

With lockdowns shutting clinics multiple times over the last year, the chance of you experiencing regrowth have increased, particularly if you’ve not completed your treatment. However, we’re here to explain to you exactly what’s going on with your regrowth and what you can do about it to get the best results from your laser hair removal.

How laser hair removal works

Before we can talk any more about regrowth, we need to explain a little about how your hair grows and how laser hair removal works. However hairy you might have felt in the past, the truth is not all your hairs are growing at once.

In fact, there are three stages of hair growth. When it is in the active phase, hairs are receiving a blood supply and are growing. However, the catagen phase is a transition stage lasting about 2-3 weeks, and finally, there’s the dormant stage when the hair follicle is inactive.

Laser hair removal works by passing heat down a hair and into the follicle, disrupting how it works and preventing hairs from growing again. The energy from the laser also absorbs the melanin in the hair. However, the hairs must be in the active phase for the laser treatment to work.

Laser hair removal regrowth is usually down to hairs that were in the catagen or dormant phase at the time of the treatment. That’s why we always recommend a course of treatments as this increases the number of hairs that get targeted during the active phase.

How many treatments are required

The number of treatments required to get the best results from laser hair removal can vary from person to person. Essentially, each of your hairs has its own growth cycle. Usually, around 8-10 treatments, each spread out by a few weeks, will be sufficient to capture the vast majority of hairs.

Those that do regrow are likely to be much finer due to the melanin being absorbed. In most cases, this regrowth simply requires a top-up treatment once every six to twelve months. It will, over time, become less frequent, with fewer and fewer hairs regrowing.

How lockdown may impact your regrowth

Lockdown has obviously complicated courses of laser hair removal treatment. With clinics opening and closing intermittently throughout the last year, your treatment plan has probably been disrupted. If you have only had a limited number of treatments, then you might be disappointed with the regrowth that you’re experiencing.

However, please note that this is entirely normal. Once clinics are open again, you will be able to continue your treatments. It may seem like the treatments you’ve had so far have not made a difference, but there will be fewer hairs growing than there were. Lockdown has simply delayed your results.

Are you getting the best laser hair removal?

If you’ve been having laser hair removal with another provider, then there are a couple of other factors to consider as you’ve possibly not been getting the best laser hair removal treatment. For example, we are a medical clinic with highly trained professionals. This means that they have the knowledge needed to get results. In contrast, other therapists may not have the qualifications or experience.

It is also true that not all laser hair removal machines are the same. At Therapie Clinic, we only use the latest technology. These machines use a stronger, medical-grade laser that not all therapists are able to use and also allow for adjustments to be made depending on factors such as hair and skin colour.

While we can offer laser hair removal with permanent results, the same is not true everywhere.

What to do if you have concerns about regrowth?

When visiting our laser hair removal clinics, you need to ensure that you have shaved the area you want to have treated, so no hairs are visible. However, this means that we also don’t get to see the regrowth that you’re experiencing.

If you have concerns and feel you have more regrowth than you should, then it’s helpful to take photos that you can then share at your next appointment. This is regardless of whether your previous treatments were with another clinic or us. They will assist your therapist in planning your treatment or making any necessary adjustments to get you the best laser hair removal results.

No two people are the same

Above all, it’s important to remember that we are all different – it’s part of what makes human beings so wonderful. Your hairs will be different from others. They can be of different colours or thickness, and their growth phases can vary. Therefore, it’s important not to compare your results with someone else getting laser hair removal.

It’s the reason why we always include consultations before and after your treatment. That way, we can assess and support you as the unique individual you are. If you’re experiencing regrowth after laser treatment, don’t get stressed or despondent. Instead, get in touch to discuss your concerns and see how we can support you.

Get in touch

If you want to discuss hair regrowth following laser hair removal or have any other questions regarding this treatment, we are here to help. You can give us a call from the UK on 08000 121 565 or from Ireland on 1890 650 750. Alternatively, you can drop us an email at hello@therapieclinic.com.