Laser hair removal takes a series because the laser can only reach hair that’s actively growing, and at any given moment only some of yours is. At Ardan Medspa + Salon, visits are usually spaced four to six weeks apart, and it can take anywhere from two to six or more.
If that sounds like a lot of appointments for something that feels like it should be one, you’re not the first to wonder. Think of the hair in an area as a crowd that never all shows up at once. Some of it is growing, some is winding down, and some is resting. The laser can only catch the first group.
What’s happening under the skin?
Every hair moves through three phases. Anagen is the active growth phase, when the hair is attached to the follicle and carries the pigment the laser is drawn to. Catagen is a short transition, when growth stops and the follicle shrinks. Telogen is the resting stage, after which the hair sheds and a new cycle begins.
Each visit treats whatever happens to be in that first phase that day. The hairs resting now will be growing a few weeks from now, and later visits catch them. That’s how laser hair removal gives you permanent hair reduction over a series, and why one session can’t do it all.
How far apart should my visits be?
At Ardan Medspa + Salon, usually four to six weeks apart. Your provider sets your schedule at your consultation, based on your hair, your skin, and the area you’re treating. Keeping to it helps each visit reach as many growing hairs as possible.
Can I keep shaving?
Yes, and we’d like you to. Shave the area about twenty-four hours before you come in. What you’ll want to skip for the whole series is waxing, plucking, and threading, because they remove the root, and the root is what the laser needs.
When should I start?
Fall is a convenient time to start. Treated skin needs to stay out of the sun, and a tan has to fade before treatment, so the cooler months make everything easier to follow. Begin now and you may be well into your schedule by the time summer arrives.
How do I get ready?
A few simple things:
- Shave the area about twenty-four hours before your visit.
- Don’t wax, pluck, or thread the area.
- Skip tanning, indoors and out, and skip sunless tanner.
- Wear broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher every day.
- Tell your provider about medicines, including isotretinoin, and about cold sores, keloids, or a tendency to scar.
Your first step is a laser consultation. It’s complimentary, and it comes first. Your provider will review your health history at your consultation, and you’re welcome to ask anything. If you’d like to read up beforehand, our laser hair removal questions and answers, the page on your first visit, and New here? are good places to start.
When you’re ready, call 781-235-7788 or book online.