You’ll be forgiven if you automatically associate laser hair removal with summers and sun tans. When the air is balmy and bikinis are on the mind, many start dreaming of being hair-free. The truth is, hair removal isn’t just for the bare-it-all days of summer! Starting your treatments during the colder months is actually the best strategic move. Read on to find out why winter is the ideal time to begin and how you can maximize your results.
How Does Laser Hair Removal Work?
At BodyLase®, we feature the ProWave and Alexandrite lasers (perfect for a wide range of lighter skin tones) and the Cutera CoolGlide™ 1064nm Nd:YAG laser (the gold standard for darker skin tones and tanned skin). All of these advanced lasers emit concentrated beams of pulsating light at specific wavelengths that pass safely through your skin to accurately target the pigment in your hair follicles. The thermal energy disrupts the hair follicle’s ability to produce future hair, leaving you set to live hair-free!
To understand the timeline, it helps to know that hair naturally grows in three distinct cycles:
- Anagen Phase: The active growing cycle.
- Catagen Phase: The transitional or resting phase.
- Telogen Phase: The final shedding phase.
Human hair growth is not synchronized, meaning that on any given region of your body, different hairs are in various growth stages at any given time. Laser hair removal is most effective on hair follicles that are currently in the anagen (active) phase, which is when they carry the highest concentration of pigment. Because follicles in the catagen or telogen phases won’t be effectively targeted, patients undergo a structured series of treatments to catch every hair in its active state.
What Does Laser Hair Removal Feel Like?
Most patients describe the sensation of laser hair removal as a light, temporary snap of a rubber band against the skin. To maximize your comfort throughout the session, we utilize advanced cooling technology to soothe and protect your skin immediately before and after each pulse of light. The vast majority of our patients complete their sessions comfortably without the need for topical numbing creams or pain relievers.
What to Expect After a Session
Following your treatment, you will notice the targeted hairs begin to shed over the next couple of weeks. The hairs that eventually grow back in are simply the ones that were not in their active anagen stage during your last appointment. With each successive treatment in your series, you will wipe out a new wave of active follicles, getting closer and closer to permanently smooth skin.
Essential Laser Hair Removal Tips for Winter
To get the absolute most out of your medical spa treatments, keep these three essential tips in mind:
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1. Start Early to Prep for Summer
Because hair growth cycles dictate that you need a series of sessions spaced four to eight weeks apart, starting in the winter ensures your treatments will be fully complete by the time beach season rolls around.
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2. Skip the Tanning Beds and Fake Tans
Laser hair removal is safest and most effective when there is a stark contrast between the color of your skin and the color of your hair. When your skin is at its natural, untanned baseline color during the winter, the laser can more accurately target the pigment inside the hair follicle without surface interference.
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3. Ditch the Waxing and Plucking (Put Down the Tweezers!)
In between your laser sessions, you must strictly limit yourself to shaving. Avoid waxing, plucking, or epilating entirely. These methods pull the hair out from the root, leaving an empty follicle. If the root is missing, the laser has no target to destroy during your next session.
Schedule Your Consultation Today
Ready to ditch the razor for good? Sign up for a free laser hair removal consultation at any of our convenient BodyLase® locations, and let our expert team build the perfect custom treatment package for your skin type.
