Laser Hair Removal

Hair Biology

When doing laser hair removal, successful results come from a strong understanding on on our natural hair growth patterns. In order for the treatment to work we must recommend proper treatment timings. There are a lot of grey areas, as there are countless factors that can interfere with one’s growth patterns. If we know how identify when a client is in the correct phase of growth, this will increase the treatment success rate.

Not all of our hair grows simultaneously. Depending on the area, there is a certain percentage (usually between 60-80%) of hair that is dormant, and will grow in the active phase of growth at different times. We separate these dormant hairs and categorize our cycles as “groups” of hairs.

Each “group” of hair is approximately 6-8 weeks apart from each other on the body, and 4-6 weeks apart from each other on the face. These are our minimum treatment intervals when first starting LHR on a client. Essentially we are treating a new group of hair at each visit, and can take up to 3-4 sessions to treat each group of hair once. This is also why we see our results peak at approx 6 sessions.

Phases of Growth

There are 3 Phases of growth in each “group” of hair that complete a growth cycle. Anagen, Catagen, & Telogen. Once all 3 phases are completed, then the cycle will repeat with a new anagen phase of growth.

Anagen - The actively growing phase. This is the phase where the hair is attached to the dermal papilla. The dermal papilla feeds the hair with nutrients. The hair is live, and the body recognizes it as being part of itself. The hair will be the most rapid in this phase. This phase of growth is approximately 4 weeks long on the body. On the head, the anagen can be active for years! This is why our hair on our heads can grow so long.

This means we must treat our client within the 4 weeks of active hair growth in the anagen phase in order to destroy the dermal papilla effectively.

Catagen - The transitional phase. In the phase of growth, the hair begins detaching from the dermal papilla. The hair will begin to weaken, and grow slowly or not at all. This phase is approximately 2 weeks long.

Telagen -The resting phase. In this phase of growth, the hair is completely detached from the dermal papilla and is considered a foreign object. The skin will now try to push the hair out of the follicle. This is the longest phase of growth, and it differs for each area of the body. It can range from 10-24 weeks long depending on the body part. Once the hair has shed, the anagen phase will restart.

Telengen cycle Lengths

Face: 10 weeks

Underarms & Brazilian: 12 weeks

Arms & torso: 18 weeks

Legs: 18-24 weeks

This Means that if we only had one group of hair in each area, the client will not need a treatment for 10-24 weeks, as there will be no anagen phase before then.