Why are at least four treatment sessions usually needed?
All lasers work by destroying hairs that are in their active growth cycle at the time of treatment. Hair follicles in their dormant phase have no hair shafts in them, and they will not be affected by the laser. Because hair follicles cycle through active and dormant phases, additional sessions are needed once the dormant follicles become active. Depending on the part of the body being treated, greater or lesser percentages of the hair follicle population are active or sensitive to laser therapy. When we look at how many treatment sessions are necessary in most people, the range is generally from 4 to 8; however four is the most common number of sessions needed. As mentioned, this primarily depends upon the hair cycle, but it also depends upon individual characteristics including: the desired degree of hair reduction, hair color, ethnic background, hormonal status, hair density, age, and other factors. Sometime additional “touch-up” treatments are helpful in small troublesome areas.
