Types of Hair

There are many different types of hair. It comes in all colors, shapes, and sizes. Hair in different areas of the body has different physical characteristics, growth cycles and follicle depths, and all of these factors will affect how we treat the unwanted hair, and the expected results achieved from laser hair removal.

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Causes of Unwanted Hair

There are number of different reasons for unwanted hair. It can be caused or worsened by such factors as gender, genetics, race, age, and hormonal changes in the body such as puberty, pregnancy and menopause. The issue of unwanted hair can be equally as problematic for men as it is for women. Excess facial hair is closely related to your genetic background. Often unwanted hair increases with age, but pregnancy, puberty, and menopause can also cause hormonal changes that affect hair growth.

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Hair Growth Cycle

Hair has three different cycles, anagen, catagen, and telogen. Hair growth cycles are important because they affect the outcome of your laser hair reduction program. When the hair is in the Telogen or “resting” phase, the target (the melanin at the base of the hair follicle) is not present. Because the target is not present during the resting phase, hair reduction will not occur. For permanent hair reduction to occur, the hair must be in the Anagen (growth) phase when the laser treatment is performed for the process to work. For this reason, the duration between laser hair reduction treatments must match as closely as possible to the length of the hair growth cycle for the area of the body being treated. Factors such as age, ethnicity, gender, medication, hormones, and location on the body can all influence the hair growth cycle and there is no one formula for estimating the growth cycles exactly, but it can be approximated.

The anagen phase is the active growth phase for the hair. Pigmentation (melanin) content is highest during this phase, causing rapid growth. During this phase, laser hair removal treatments work best because of the higher melanin content.

The catagen phase is a short transition stage that occurs at the end of the anagen phase. It signals the end of the active growth of a hair. This phase lasts for about 2-3 weeks, and during this time, blood flow to the hair is cut off through the dermal papilla.

The telogen phase is the resting phase of the hair follicle. At any given time, 10%-15% of all hairs are in the telogen phase. This phase lasts for about 100 days for hairs on the scalp and much longer for hairs on the eyebrow, eyelash, arm and leg. During this phase the hair follicle is completely at rest.

How it works

Laser Hair Removal permanently reduces unwanted hair by causing a very small thermal injury at the base or “bulb” of the hair follicle. The process works because the heat of the laser damages the microscopic blood vessels that feed the follicle with blood while preventing injury to the surrounding tissue. When this small thermal injury is created the hair is no longer able to regrow and permanent hair reduction results.

Depending on the skin type of the individual being treated, Celibré uses one of several different lasers to accomplish the same goal of laser hair reduction. Equipment choice is a very important factor in the effectiveness of your laser hair reduction treatment because it affects results. The correct laser for African American skin is not necessarily the right choice for pale Northern European skin. Fortunately at Celibré we have a number of options when it comes to choosing the correct laser for your laser hair reduction procedure.

Laser hair reduction works most effectively with multiple treatments. Because the hair being treated is not always in the Anagen or growth phase, multiple treatments (typically at least six) are required to achieve significant laser hair reduction.

Expected Outcomes

Although laser hair reduction is different from patient to patient (based on skin type and the coarseness and color of hair), there are some generally accepted expectations.

70% of patients get 70% or more reduction.

25% of patients get up to 95% reduction.

5% of patients do not respond well to laser hair reduction techniques.