If you’re excited by the promise of being hair-free, and you’re thinking of going to a laser hair removal clinic, make sure you read the small print on the back of the consent form. Alongside the client success stories, there’s also a risk that laser could actually make you hairier! Yes, you read that right. It doesn’t happen with everyone, but it does happen — even if you’re the perfect candidate for laser hair removal. So, what causes this?
Paradoxical hypertrichosis
It’s called paradoxical hypertrichosis — and even the name sounds scary. No one actually knows why this happens with laser patients, but after treatment, the laser can do the opposite of what you’re expecting and actually stimulate hair growth. And, if that wasn’t enough, the hair can actually come back thicker and darker! Let’s look at some reasons why this might be happening.
Assessing your skin for laser is tricky
There is a hypothesis that when hair is heated to 65 degrees, the hair follicle germ cells are destroyed, but anything below this could contribute to more hair growth. We won’t go into the details too DEEPLY, but this concept is ROOTED (ha ha - we love a good play on words) in something called the theory of photothermolysis. With laser clinics, the technician treating you needs to do two things: 1) accurately determine the strength of laser for your skin type 2) assess how your skin performed after each treatment. But these often don’t occur for two reasons: 1) laser is painful, so it’s tempting for the laser tech to run your machine cooler, making your treatment more tolerable but the result is your hair only reaches about 45 degrees, and thus stimulates hair growth 2) at a larger laser clinic, you may be treated by a different tech each time, so they won’t be fully aware of how your last treatment performed for you, which can be problematic in spotting issues.
The hormone factor
Another hypothesis of why your hair may grow back stronger and thicker after laser has to do with hormonal imbalance. It takes time to diagnose something like PCOS, and many women live with symptoms for years before their condition is fully understood. One of the main features of PCOS is excess facial and body hair, thanks to higher-levels of testosterone and other androgens. If this theory is correct, laser may not be the real culprit behind excessive hair growth after a treatment, but it may contribute to speeding up the process.
Avoiding excess hair
If any of this worries you, or you already have excess hair, you have options that will not require hours of plucking later. Let’s talk through some of them:
Electrolysis
If you’re wary of letting a laser loose on your face or another area of your body (and you should be), you can skip it altogether and make a safer and more effective choice! Electrolysis is the only 100% PERMANENT form of hair removal recognized by the FDA (laser can’t say this), and it’s one of the least painful methods of permanent hair removal. Come see us in our professional, caring, small salon environment. We can permanently remove hair from anywhere!
See your doctor
This seems pretty pedestrian, but actually, women are often so busy taking care of others, they don’t stop and take enough time for themselves. I fall into this trap myself a lot! There’s a lot that can be done for excess hair issues - especially if you suspect you may have a hormonal imbalance!
It’s ok to shave your face
Really! Your hair will not grow back stronger and thicker, we promise (this is just an old wives’ tale)! If you’re having a problem right now, this is a great immediate solution, and it hands-down beats tweezing, which can distort your hair follicle, cause ingrown hair, and make your hair stronger and thicker over time! We can’t stress this enough - NEVER TWEEZE, but it’s totally ok to shave for the short-term, and then come see us for permanent hair removal with electrolysis!
