Laser Hair Reduction vs Shaving and Waxing: Which Hair Removal Option Lasts Longer?

If you add up the time and energy you spend shaving, plucking, and waxing unwanted body and facial hair, the final tally can be eye-opening. Making matters more frustrating, the effort to get rid of body hair can seem endless as new hair quickly replaces what you shaved and waxed away. You wonder whether there’s a better way.

Well, there is — with laser hair reduction. Laser technologies have been a boon for dermatology practices, allowing us to safely and effectively accomplish a wide range of objectives, from erasing the premature signs of aging to reducing unwanted body and facial hair.

When it comes to laser hair reduction, board-certified dermatologist Dr. Juan-Carlos Caballero and the team at Warrenton Dermatology & Skin Therapy Center have equipped themselves with a leading technology called the Sciton Joule™ X laser platform.

Here’s a look at how this innovative approach to getting rid of unwanted hair works — and why it’s definitely a superior option over shaving and waxing.

Going to the source of your hair

Let’s first look at how laser hair reduction works. With advanced Joule technology, we deliver broadband light energy directly to hair follicles. More specifically, we target the pigment inside the unwanted hair, which absorbs the light energy as heat. This heat, in turn, damages the follicle in a way that it can no longer grow hair.

The Joule system is designed in a way that allows us to pinpoint each follicle without damaging surrounding skin tissues. Laser hair reduction treatments themselves are well tolerated by most patients, though you may experience some soreness and redness in the treated area afterward. Luckily, these side effects are generally short-lived.

Given that your skin can tolerate laser hair reduction fairly well, we can use it in most areas of your body, including your:

Back
Chest
Face
Underarms
Arms
Legs
Bikini area

The only place we must avoid is the area around your eyes.

Treatment timeline for laser hair reduction

At any given time, each of your hair follicles are in one of four stages of growth:

Anagen, or growing phase
Catagen, or transition phase
Telegen, or resting phase
Exogen, or shedding phase

To “deactivate” a hair follicle and stop it from growing hair, we must catch it during its growth phase. This means you need to have several treatments over the course of a few months to “catch” and effectively target all of the follicles in a given treatment area during their active growth phase. Most patients require about six laser hair reduction sessions for best results.

Results from laser hair reduction

Now let’s look at what you really want to know about — results. After your first laser hair reduction treatment, results start right away and most people realize a 10% to 20% reduction in hair growth.

These results only build as you progress through your laser hair reduction treatments and, by the end, nearly all the targeted hair in the treated area should be gone.

At this point, people can enjoy months to years of results and, if some hair grows back, it’s often finer. A few maintenance Joule treatments is all it takes to tackle this re-emerging hair. In fact, with each laser hair reduction treatment, hair growth in the treatment area decreases.

Laser hair reduction in Warrenton, Virginia

Would you like to find out how laser hair reduction can help you say goodbye to daily shaving and regular waxing for good? We’re here to help.

Contact our team at Warrenton Dermatology & Skin Therapy Center in Warrenton, Virginia, at 540-341-1900 (choose option 3) today. You can also request an appointment online via our texting app anytime.