How many times should I do laser until all the hair is gone?

Short answer – nobody knows, and nobody can give you a definite answer. Should anyone tell you 6, 8, 20, or any actual number, it would be misleading you. 

However:

1. We know that for most customers, every single laser hair removal treatment reduces hair coverage by 15% on average from what is left. 

2. Overview of Laser Hair Removal Treatments

Laser hair removal is a widely used cosmetic procedure aimed at reducing hair growth in various parts of the body. The number of sessions required to achieve significant hair reduction varies based on the treatment area, individual biology, and other contributing factors. On average, 5–10 treatments are needed for most body areas, while others may require 8–15 treatments. Some individuals might need fewer sessions, whereas others may need more due to specific factors such as medical conditions (e.g., polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)), genetic predisposition, or hormonal changes.

Understanding Hair Growth and Laser Treatment Limitations

It is important to understand that laser hair removal targets hair follicles that are active at the time of treatment. However, laser hair removal does not prevent the future growth of new hair follicles. For example:

• At age 18, an individual may have 500 active hair follicles in the underarm area.
• By age 24, due to natural biological processes, hormonal changes, or other factors, the same individual might develop 1,500 active follicles.
• If laser hair removal is performed at age 18 to remove the 500 follicles, those follicles will no longer produce hair. However, the additional 1,000 follicles that become active by age 24 will still grow hair.

This natural increase in hair follicle activity can create the impression that laser hair removal was ineffective or that the individual has more hair than before the treatment. In reality, the treatment successfully eliminated the hair follicles active at the time of the procedure.

Customer Data Analysis

Below is an analysis of data collected from clients who have completed their laser hair removal treatment with us and ceased scheduling new appointments. Clients who are still undergoing treatment have been excluded to ensure the results reflect only completed cases.

This analysis highlights the variability in the number of sessions required and provides insight into factors contributing to the differences, including:

1. Treatment Area: Larger or more densely populated areas, such as legs or back, may require additional sessions compared to smaller areas like the upper lip or underarms.
2. Hair and Skin Type: The efficacy of laser hair removal can vary depending on the client’s hair color, thickness, and skin tone. Darker, coarser hair on lighter skin tones often responds best to treatment.
3. Underlying Conditions: Hormonal imbalances or conditions like PCOS can necessitate additional sessions.
4. Post-Treatment Growth: As noted, new hair growth can occur due to biological or hormonal changes, but this does not reflect the efficacy of prior treatments.

This approach provides a comprehensive, evidence-based explanation of the laser hair removal process, addressing common misconceptions and offering clarity on expected outcomes.

1. Customers who did 1-3 laser hair removal treatments either needed to do touchups, were temporary in this area, or were, for whatever reasons, decided not to do laser hair removals anymore. You can disregard those who did 1-3 treatments only, as more than three treatments are needed to get rid of the majority of your hair. # Treatments can reduce your hair coverage but will not eliminate hair.
2. Customers who did 12-20+ laser hair removal treatments. There is a large group of the population that has PCOS or similar conditions. According to CDC PCOS is one of the most common causes of female infertility, affecting 6% to 12% (as many as 5 million) of US women of reproductive age. However, it is a lot more than that. This lifelong health condition continues far beyond the child-bearing years. Women with PCOS are often insulin resistant; their bodies can make insulin but cannot use it effectively, increasing their risk for type 2 diabetes. They also have higher levels of androgens (male hormones that females also have), which can stop eggs from being released (ovulation) and cause irregular periods, acne, thinning scalp hair, and excess hair growth on the face and body.
3. We removed two extremes from our data, and what is left is the average number of treatments our customer did for their laser hair removal. As we can see, the average numbers are different, from part of the body to different locations (ethnic makeup of customer base). Looking at the average can make some understanding, such as how many times someone did laser hair removal for a given body part.
4. Also, please pay attention to the following conditions affecting the number of laser hair removal treatments one might require.
   1. Age. Generally, the younger one is, the more treatments one would need. During laser hair removal sessions, some hair follicles will be permanently destroyed. They will not resurrect, while some follicles will be thermally damaged, and a younger/healthier body will be able to repair more of the damaged follicles compared to older ones.
   2. Ethnicity. Those who have more hair to start with would need more treatments compared to those who started with less hair coverage.
   3. Health conditions. Please see the example with PCOS. Someone with PCOS, instead yes than not, would need more treatments down the road compared to a similar person without the said condition. If, for whatever reason, one has increased hair growth, one would likely need more treatments compared to someone without the said condition.
   4. Hair color/thickness. There should be enough contrast between skin and hair color. Hair must be darker than the skin! There is no way around it. Once hair becomes gray/white, laser hair removal would do nothing to help.
   5. Not everyone wants to get rid of every last hair. For the majority of customers, shaving once a month instead of shaving underarms or legs or bikini every day is a significant achievement, and they are acceptable to shave four leftover hair once a month compared to the 100,0000,000 hair they began with (numbers are just examples). However, some do want to get rid of every last piece of hair on their body. Naturally, they would need to have more laser hair removal treatments.

Now, we can examine our charts and approach to interpretation with basic knowledge about “how laser hair removal works.”

What would we suggest, and how can you save big now when you know how does it works? As you can see, average clients had at least 5-6 laser hair removal sessions. You can purchase a gift card for five times your laser hair removal session price and save 10-20%, as you know you would need to do at least five sessions of laser hair removal. Link for the gift cards is here10