Why do I look hairier after laser hair removal? | Skin Perfection (2024)

FAQs

Why do I look hairier after laser hair removal? | Skin Perfection? ›

The appearance of increased hair growth after laser hair removal can be concerning, but it's important to understand that this is a normal part of the treatment process. Hair shedding, hair growth cycles, and misconceptions about hair growth can all contribute to the perception of increased hairiness.

So, what causes this? 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.

Is there any way to avoid Paradoxical Hypertrichosis? Unfortunately not, however, “there are some measures that can lower the risk of paradoxical hypertrichosis - such as certified practitioners ensuring the energy from the device isn't too low or too high. Another point is to only treat thick hair .

Background: Laser hair removal (LHR) is one of the most requested cosmetic procedures worldwide. A rare side effect is the appearance of excess hair around previously treated areas, known as paradoxical hypertrichosis.

Hairs do not fall out immediately, but you will shed them over a period of days to weeks. This may look like continued hair growth. The repeated treatments are usually necessary because hair growth and loss naturally occur in a cycle, and laser treatment works best with hair follicles in the new-growth stage.

Reasons for Stubble After Laser Hair Removal

With hairs at different stages at any given time, a single laser session can only target hairs in the active growth phase. This discrepancy means that hairs not in the active phase during treatment will continue to grow, leading to the perception of stubble.

The goal of laser hair removal is to damage the structures that produce hair to the extent that hair stops growing. Hair removal methods such as plucking and waxing, as well as making the treatment ineffective may also result in the hair growing back more strongly.

Since there is no cure for hypertrichosis, treatment focuses on hair removal, which is typically done regularly as the hair continues to grow back. There are various methods for hair removal with short-term results, such as shaving, waxing, and chemical epilation (i.e., use of cosmetic creams to remove hair).

Hypertrichosis is the presence of abundant body hair that is not caused by androgen. It can be hereditary or acquired. Cushing's disease, acromegaly, and hypothyroidism are the main endocrine causes of acquired hypertrichosis [33].

Congenital hypertrichosis may be caused by reactivation of genes that cause hair growth. The genes that caused extensive hair growth in early man have “shut down” during the course of evolution. By a mistake that still has no known cause, these hair-growth genes “turn on” while a baby is still in the womb.

What do dead hair follicles look like after laser? ›

This damage signals to the body that the hair is no longer needed and will eventually be shed. In most cases, this occurs 1 to 3 weeks after your LHR treatment, and it sometimes looks like blackheads or stubble.

The black dots? Think of them as the remnants of hair on its way out. The laser zaps the follicles, prompting the hair to shed. These little dots are temporary hitchhikers, signaling the end of the road for the treated hair.

And yes, you may still notice some hair a couple of days after your session, but this is often part of the natural shedding process or due to hairs that were in a different growth phase during treatment. Remember, quality laser hair removal is an investment in your confidence and well-being.

Hair Shedding – After a laser hair removal treatment, it's common for the treated hair to shed. This shedding process can take 10-14 days post treatment. And during this time, it may appear as though the hair is growing back thicker and darker. However, this is simply the hair follicle shedding the treated hair.

Even though laser hair removal is aimed to destroy the hair follicles, in some cases the laser can actually stimulate hair production. This can occur when the energy levels applied during your treatment are too low.

Be patient with the treated area, and after a few weeks the hairs will fall out without further provoking. For best results, leaving the treated area(s) alone is recommended as the targeted hairs will complete their growth cycle, shed, and because the follicle has been destroyed, there will be no regrowth.

Patients will experience some mild swelling around the hair follicles and slight redness to the skin. It is rare for patients to experience excessive hair growth in the target area. Patients may notice more hair 1 – 3 weeks after laser hair removal sessions as follicles in the growing cycle begin to shed.

While you shouldn't be able to pull hair out forcefully, you're free to cut or scrub the hair in order to speed up the shed process. Rub the treatment area with a circular motion with a loofah or gentle washcloth for removing dead hair.

Wait until the skin has fully healed before shaving, which can take up to two weeks. Shaving too soon can cause further irritation and damage to the skin, which can lead to scarring and hyperpigmentation.

Pulling out loose hair after a laser hair removal session is not recommended. It disrupts the hair growth cycle; when hairs are loose it means the hair is in its cycle of removal. If it's removed before it dies on its own, it could stimulate hair to grow again.