Common Questions: I'm finishing laser, how long or how many sessions will electrolysis take?

[Seana]

Another of those common questions I get every day:

[–]Vegantanejah 1 point 10 hours ago

Maybe you can answer my question straight forward. I have been getting a lot of mix signals information about my questions.

I am currently undergoing laser hair treatment for a full Brazilian. And underarms. I was wondering if right after I finish my laser treatment I decide to do electrolysis will it need a lot of sessions? Will I just need a 2-3 sessions to "seal the deal"?

Any tips? Thank you



[–]SeanaTGTransgender MTF Electrologist[S] 2 points an hour ago*

A lot of this will depend on the laser treatment you recieved but I suspect more than 2-3 will be necessary. Let me explain.

First, hair grows in hair cycles, no matter what you have done to the skin beforehand. At any given time only a small percentage of the hair present will be visible to see, or be removed. In general it takes about a year to complete an electrolysis treatment, because some of the hair you have will be out of the growth phase and not visible.This is a minimum, because you have to be receiving enough electrolysis to remove all the visible hair, and if you arent quite getting all of it it will re-appear in 2-3 months. With Laser, and especially IPL, the hair growth cycle can be seriously affected. Sometimes previously invisible hairs are stimulated by their partial damage from the laser into growing a full terminal hair ( laser hair growth stimulation) . Other times the root is partially destroyed and it takes time for the area to regenerate enough to grow a hair in. So some electrologists find "new" hairs growing in a year or two down the line. These hairs were always present, but their growth cycle was interrupted by the laser treatment. This is the reason some electrologists I know wont take on a client who has had excessive laser, they know these stray hairs will grow in well past the treatment time they usually guarantee, and because they cannot honour their guarantee they wont take on the client. Unfair, but it is what it is.Some electrologists specialize in a 3-clearance method, butt they are few and far between and the best of the best, and they cannot guarantee results when a lot of laser has been done.

In general, you wont see all that noticeable improvement for 6-8 months while the hairs go through their various hair cycles, become visible and are removed, then a tapering off for the next 4-6 months. This is standard, and I often have to remind clients not to become discouraged in that first 4-8 months but drill it in their brain they are making progress. How much will be necessary after that, will depend on whether follicles have become stimulated or retarded by the laser treatment, and can affect the hair growth cycle for up to 2 years after ( and there are reports of much longer).

Sorry this probably isn’t the answer you wanted to hear, but it's one of the reasons I often warn people off of excessive laser.

Do you mind if I copy your question ( and my response) to my forums? I'm in process of building up content there and a lot of what I answer here gets repetitive so it would help if I can just point to where the answer has already been given. Also one or two of the resident professionals may wish to weigh in .

Seana


[–]Vegantanejah [score hidden] 26 minutes ago

Yes please do submit to a forum. I couldn't find this answer anywhere. So my best bet would be to finish my treatment then touch up sessions as needed, right?


[–]SeanaTGTransgender MTF Electrologist[S] 1 point just now

pretty much. Just dont allow yourself to be discouraged, and remember that 6 months down the road you will probably think "Gee I seem to have as much hair as I started with" . Know and convince yourself that this is not true and the hair will slowly taper off to nothing after that point. It just takes time for all the growth cycles to surface to be removed.