During laser hair removal, a laser emits a light that is absorbed by the pigment (melanin) in the hair. The light energy is converted to heat, which damages the tube-shaped sacs within the skin (hair follicles) that produce hairs. This damage inhibits or delays future hair growth.

For most people, a series of treatments is required to remove the hair in the area and reduce future growth. The majority of treatments result in a permanent reduction in hair growth. Some people will notice complete hair removal, which may last for an extended period of time. However, most people will require some maintenance treatments to maintain the desired reduction in hair growth.

Hair has a growing cycle as anagen(growth phase), catagen(transitional phase) and Telogen (Resting Phase) and it is repeated. During the hair removal treatment, thermal energy is delivered to the hair follicle and it destroys the hair follicle. At the time, the hair on anagen is removed effectively but the hair on catagen and telogen isn’t removed because they do not absorb the laser on the epidermis. So these hairs should be removed when they become anagen by additional treatment. Therefore, in order to remove all hair, we need hair removal treatment based on the hair cycle repeatedly. It is normally 3 to 5 times based on skin type and hair type.

For thin hair or bright hair which has less melanin, more treatment repetition can be required.