How Long Does Laser Hair Removal Take?

This is a common question because nobody wants to have unwanted hair, and everyone wants instant results with anything, especially laser hair removal. Well, while it would be nice if you could remove all the hair in one laser hair session, which is just not possible. For the entire process to work properly, several sessions need to be done, and the number of sessions depends on a variety of factors including what area you are having treated, the color and coarseness of your hair, and even your skin color.

For example, a light-skinned person with dark hair will need fewer sessions than a person who is dark-skinned with dark hair, or light-skinned with light hair. The reason is that laser hair removal works best with light skin and dark hair because the laser is able to target the hair follicle much easier in this situation.

On average, you will have between five and seven sessions done under the laser, but you can have as many as ten to 12, again depending on factors like your hair and skin color.

Naturally, some areas of your body are going to take more work than other areas. This means more sessions and more money for you to pay. Your underarms will only need a few sessions, but your face will need many sessions. The reason is that hair has cycles and the cycles dictate how many treatments are needed. Facial hair grows quickly, so it needs more sessions to tackle the cycle of the hair, while the back and legs do not grow hair as fast, so they do not need as many sessions.

You also cannot go for each session every single week. You have to space out the sessions. One reason this is done is for safety so that you do not damage your skin with the constant pulses of laser energy over the course of several weeks. However, the other reason this is done is because hair cycles, and enough space has to be between cycles in order to be able to get rid of all the hair.

On average, sessions are spaced three to 12 weeks apart. When you first start out with laser hair removal, you may have your sessions spaced about six to eight weeks apart depending on the area being treated. However, as you begin to get closer to the end of your treatments, you will only have to have your sessions spaced out about every three weeks.

As the sessions go on, you will see more and more hair falling out when you are in the shower. This is how the process is supposed to work. As well, the more sessions you have, the more you are going to be paying out to the clinic. This is why many people choose to get only certain areas of their body laser treated so that the do not have to keep going for treatments for larger areas.

Once you are done your laser hair removal treatments, you will still have to go in once a year for a touch-up to remove any hair that may have grown over the course of that year.

Read more answers to your questions at our laser hair removal FAQ page.