Laser hair removal is popular for removing unwanted body hair and lets you keep the results longer than traditional methods. At-home devices are all the rage right now and many are asking, “How often can you use laser hair removal at home?”.
It’s generally recommended to use your laser hair removal device at home once every two weeks. Do this consistent treatment schedule for about three to six months as your initial treatment. After that, you can decrease your sessions to just once per month to maintain the results.
At-home laser hair removal devices come with their own set of guidelines and instructions for correct use. Make sure you read through your device’s manual guide. If you aren’t sure, it’s always a wise choice to consult with your healthcare provider.
Below, we’ll go over everything you need to know about at-home laser hair removal devices. Then, we’ll also go over common queries like safety, effectiveness, usage, frequency of use, and more.
How Does Laser Removal Hair?
Many people turn to shaving, waxing, and plucking among many methods to achieve their hairless goals.
Another popular method to safely and effectively remove unwanted body hair is laser hair removal.
Laser hair removal is a procedure that uses pulses of laser light to target and kill the hair follicles in the treatment area. As the laser beam lights kill the targeted hair follicle, it prevents hair from growing back.
The way it works is the hair’s pigment or melanin will absorb the energy from the laser light. And this light will travel all the way down to the hair’s follicle, killing it.
This offers longer-lasting results than the traditional hair removal methods of shaving, plucking, or waxing. Though longer-lasting, the results aren’t exactly permanent. What it does is slow down regular hair growth, leaving you hairless for longer.
To maintain your hairless results, you will need to undergo consistent follow-up and maintenance treatment sessions.
Laser Hair Removal: In-Office vs Home Treatments
Laser hair removal is traditionally an in-office treatment. Clients go to skin clinics and offices to get their scheduled treatment done every few weeks.
But the thing is, in-office laser hair removal treatments can be expensive and time-consuming. Laser hair removal is not a one-time treatment. You would need several session treatments to go completely hairless in your target area.
A single session could cost you up to a few thousand dollars, depending on the size of the area. You would also have to come in every few weeks. The time it would take to finish the session would also depend on what’s being treated.
Because it could be such a big commitment, many companies and manufacturers have come out with their own at-home versions of the popular laser hair removal treatment.
IPL vs laser hair removal: setting the record straight
When it comes to laser hair removal, there are two devices commonly used: true laser and intense pulsed light (IPL).
IPL isn’t exactly the same as a true laser device but it also uses strong pulses of light. It’s somehow similar to how lasers work which is using light that travels the pigment of the hair, causing damage to the hair follicles or cells, and disabling hair growth.
Though they work the same and basically use the same principles, they’re not exactly the same.
Both these devices are commonly used in clinic treatment sessions. Many at-home devices also use one or the other to help customers with their hairless goals.
Is Laser Hair Removal At Home Effective?
Generally speaking, at-home laser hair removal devices are effective. Just like professional devices in skin clinics and offices, these can help remove hair and delay growth.
Though effective, at-home laser hair removal devices are not as powerful as the ones you would find in your dermatologist’s office.
Is Laser Hair Removal At Home Safe?
At-home laser hair removal devices are generally safe to use, given that you follow the guidelines and precautions laid out by the manufacturer.
At-home laser hair removal devices not being as effective and powerful as in-clinic laser devices makes them safe for home use, especially for those without training and certification for it.
This won’t have you worrying about burning your skin off for the sake of going hairless.
Who Should Try Laser Hair Removal At Home?
At-home laser hair removal devices have a huge limitation on who are ideal candidates to use them.
These at-home devices are designed to work on a narrow group of skin and hair colors. These devices are recommended for use on individuals with light skin and dark hair. The contrast in their hair and skin color makes these devices much more effective.
If you don’t have this combo, you might risk burns or simply wasting your money on a device that wouldn’t work for you. In this case, in-office laser treatments might be your better choice. These have a more advanced and sophisticated technology that can accommodate various skin and hair colors.
How Often Can You Use Laser Hair Removal At Home?
It’s generally recommended to use your at-home laser hair removal device once every two weeks. You can do this for about three to six months as you are starting out. This will pile up results from each session so you can enjoy semi-permanent results.
Doing more than recommended will use up the number of pulses on your device quickly – and not for good reasons too because the target area wouldn’t need treatments that frequently. On the other hand, skipping your scheduled treatments will not yield the results you want.
After that initial set of treatments, you can decrease your treatments to just once per month. This will maintain results and prevent hair regrowth.
When Should You Use Laser Hair Removal At Home?
Hair grows in four phases:
Anagen: The first phase of hair growth, hair actively grows during this period. Hair grows at 1cm per day and about 90% of hair is at this stage at any time.
Catagen: Right after the active growing phase, the hairs stop growing and rest. Hair grows slowly at this stage and about 3-5% of hair is at this stage at any time.
Telogen: Here, the hair has reached its maximum length and stopped growing. About 10% of hair is at this stage at any time.
Exogen: The last hair growth phase is the shedding phase. At this stage, hair naturally falls out, making way for new hair to grow.
So at which stage should you use your laser hair removal device at home?
Laser hair removal would work best during the first phase, or the anagen phase. This is the phase where the hair pigments can easily absorb the laser light energy so it destroys the hair follicles to reduce future unwanted hair.
How Long Do Results Take to Show?
It can take three to six months before you can see major results. This is why consistency and commitment should always be on your mind. Laser hair removal works over time and is not a one-time or overnight treatment. You need to trust the process.
Which Areas Should I Treat At Home?
You can safely and effectively use at-home laser hair removal devices in small areas like the underarms, upper lip, and even the bikini area.
You might have trouble getting results for larger areas like your arms or legs so it would be better to seek a professional for those areas.
Moreover, leave your genital area to the professionals, but you can safely target your bikini area only.
Precautions on Using Laser Hair Removal At Home
When you’re using a laser hair removal device at home, make sure to read the instructions and guidelines from the manufacturer carefully. Understand and follow them, not only for your safety but to maximize your results.
Moreover, don’t overdo it. There’s no reason for you to be using it in the target area every day or every week. You will only be wasting the number of pulses on your device quickly and achieve no results in the process.
Conclusion
Laser hair removal is all the rage right now with millions of people in the country getting them done every year. It’s a safe and effective way to reach your hairless goals, both in-office and at-home treatments. Many are wondering how often one can use their at-home laser hair removal device.
The general recommendation is to use your device once every two weeks for about three to six months. This will maximize results. After the initial set of treatment sessions, reduce usage to once per month to maintain and keep the results up.
If you have more questions about how often you can use laser hair removal at home, feel free to reach out on our contact page.
