Laser hair removal is one of the most requested treatments in aesthetics and one of the most oversold. The version worth reading tells you two things before you book: how many sessions it actually takes, and whether your hair color will respond at all.
At Summit Plastic Surgery in Redding, CA, we use both Alexandrite and Nd:YAG lasers, which is what allows us to treat the full range of skin tones safely rather than only the lighter end. Both of those answers come at consultation rather than after you have paid for a package.
Laser hair removal uses focused light energy to target the pigment in a hair follicle. The light is absorbed by melanin in the hair, converted to heat, travels down the shaft, and damages the follicle so it produces finer, sparser hair or stops producing it altogether.
The accurate term for the outcome is permanent hair reduction, and the distinction matters. It means a lasting reduction in the number of hairs that regrow after a course of treatment, which is what the technology actually achieves and what it is cleared for. It does not mean every hair is gone forever, and any practice promising that is overselling.
Because the laser targets pigment, the contrast between hair color and skin tone determines how well it works. Dark hair absorbs the energy readily. That is also why using the right laser for your skin tone matters so much, and why we carry two.
The appeal is straightforward: less time spent on hair removal and fewer of the skin problems that shaving and waxing cause. The points below reflect what a completed course actually delivers.
Hair grows in cycles, and only hairs in the active growth phase can be treated effectively. At any given moment, a proportion of the hair in an area is dormant and will not respond, which is the entire reason this treatment requires a series rather than a single session.
Spacing sessions four to six weeks apart on the face and six to eight on the body allows dormant follicles to enter the active phase before the next treatment. Rushing that interval does not speed up your result; it just means treating hairs that cannot respond.
Having both is not a marketing detail. A practice with only an Alexandrite laser cannot safely treat the full range of skin tones, and using the wrong wavelength on deeper skin is how burns and pigment change happen.
Almost any area with unwanted hair can be treated, and most patients treat more than one. Larger areas take longer per session, but the number of sessions is broadly similar.
The treatment works best where there is good contrast between hair color and skin tone, which in practice means dark hair. That applies across skin tones, because with two lasers available, the skin tone determines the wavelength rather than whether treatment is possible.
It suits people prepared to complete a full course rather than trying two sessions and judging the result. It also suits anyone whose skin reacts badly to shaving or waxing, since addressing the follicle removes the cause of the irritation.
It is a poor fit for blonde, red, grey, or white hair, because there is not enough pigment in the hair for the laser to target. That is a limitation of the technology rather than of any particular device, and you should be told before you pay rather than after several sessions.
Treatment is not performed during pregnancy, over active infection, sunburn or open skin, or on recently tanned skin. Recent isotretinoin use requires a waiting period, and certain photosensitizing medications and a history of keloid scarring both need assessment. Your history is reviewed at consultation.
You will be asked to shave the area a day or two before your appointment, which is counterintuitive but necessary. The laser targets the follicle beneath the skin, and surface hair only absorbs energy that should be going deeper.
Protective eyewear is worn, and the handpiece is passed over the area, with built-in cooling running throughout. Most patients describe the sensation as a snap against the skin, comparable to a rubber band, which is brief and manageable. Small areas take minutes.
Afterward, the area looks slightly red and feels warm, similar to mild sunburn, and settles within a few hours. Treated hairs shed over the following one to three weeks, which can look like regrowth but is the hair working its way out. Avoid sun exposure, hot showers, saunas, and strenuous exercise for the first day or two.
Most patients find their results last three to four months. Duration varies with the area treated, the dose used, and how strong the underlying muscles are, so a powerful frown complex often wears off sooner than crow’s feet do.
Treating consistently tends to extend that. Muscles treated regularly over time weaken somewhat, which for many patients means fewer units or a longer interval between appointments. You can see outcomes from patients treated here in our photo gallery.
Laser hair removal is usually a standalone course. The treatments below come up most often in the same conversation, either for the same area or for a related concern.
Laser hair removal is widely available and unevenly delivered. The differences that matter are which lasers a practice actually owns, who is operating them, and whether anyone will tell you honestly if your hair color is not going to respond.
Laser hair removal is priced by treatment area, since an upper lip and a full back involve very different amounts of time. Because results come from completing a course rather than a single visit, the figure worth discussing is the cost of the full series.
Package pricing is generally more economical than paying per session. Your quote is given at consultation once the areas and the likely session count have been agreed, so you know the full commitment before starting.
Summit Plastic Surgery is located on Buenaventura Boulevard in Redding, CA. We see patients from across Northern California and the greater Sacramento area, with many traveling from the communities listed below.
The accurate term is permanent hair reduction, and the distinction is worth understanding rather than glossing over. A completed course produces a lasting reduction in the number of hairs that regrow, and the hair that does return is typically finer and lighter. That is what the technology achieves and what it is cleared for.
What it does not mean is that every hair is gone forever. Most patients need maintenance sessions once or twice a year, and hormonal changes can stimulate dormant follicles at any point. Anyone promising permanent removal rather than permanent reduction is overselling the treatment.
Not well, and this is the most important thing to know before booking. The laser works by targeting pigment in the hair, so hair with little or no pigment gives it nothing to target. Blonde, red, grey, and white hair respond poorly or not at all.
This is a limitation of the technology rather than of any particular device, so no laser resolves it. If your hair falls into those categories, you will be told at consultation, and we would rather lose the booking than take payment for a course that will not deliver.
Yes, with the correct laser. We use an Nd:YAG laser for deeper skin tones, which has a longer wavelength that passes more safely past the melanin in the skin while still targeting the pigment in the hair.
This is the reason a practice needs more than one device. An Alexandrite laser alone cannot safely treat the full range of skin tones, and using the wrong wavelength on deeper skin is how burns and pigment change occur. Your skin tone is assessed before treatment, and the wavelength is selected accordingly.
Cost depends on the area being treated, since an upper lip and a full back require very different amounts of time. Because results come from completing a course rather than a single session, the number worth discussing is the total across the series.
Package pricing is generally more economical than paying per session. Your quote is given at consultation once the areas and likely session count are agreed, and Cherry and CareCredit payment plans are available.
Most patients need six to eight sessions, spaced four to six weeks apart on the face and six to eight on the body. The range exists because hair grows in cycles and only actively growing hairs respond, so multiple passes are needed to catch all the follicles in an area.
Maintenance sessions once or twice a year afterward are normal and expected rather than a sign the course did not work. Hormonal changes are the most common reason dormant follicles activate later, which is worth planning for rather than being surprised by.
Shave the treatment area a day or two beforehand. This seems counterintuitive, but it matters, because the laser targets the follicle beneath the skin, and surface hair only absorbs energy that should be going deeper.
Do not wax, pluck, or thread for four to six weeks before treatment, since those remove the follicle the laser needs to target. Avoid sun exposure and self-tanner for two weeks beforehand, and arrive with clean skin free of makeup, lotion, and deodorant in the treatment area.
Most patients describe it as a snap against the skin, comparable to a rubber band, rather than pain. Built-in cooling runs throughout, which makes a considerable difference. Sensitivity varies by area, with the bikini line, upper lip, and areas over bone generally more uncomfortable than the arms or legs.
Yes, and shaving is the right method between sessions. What you must avoid is waxing, plucking, and threading, since all three remove the follicle from the root and there is then nothing for the laser to target at your next appointment.
You should also expect treated hairs to shed over one to three weeks after each session. That can look like regrowth, but it is the treated hair working its way out of the follicle, so resist the urge to pluck it.
No. Laser hair removal is not performed during pregnancy. There is no evidence it causes harm, but there is also no safety data establishing that it does not, and elective treatment is not worth performing without it.
Pregnancy also drives hormonal hair growth changes that often reverse afterward, so treating during pregnancy would mean chasing a moving target. Most patients are advised to wait until after pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Some regrowth is normal and expected, which is why permanent reduction rather than permanent removal is the accurate description. Follicles that were dormant during your course can activate later, and hormonal changes are the most common trigger.
Conditions such as PCOS, along with pregnancy, menopause, and certain medications, all influence hair growth and can prompt regrowth in treated areas. Patients with a hormonal driver generally need ongoing maintenance, which is worth planning for from the start.
The two things worth establishing before you book are whether your hair color will respond and how many sessions your areas are likely to need. Both are answered at the consultation, honestly, before you commit to a course.
Call 530-638-8868 or schedule a consultation at Summit Plastic Surgery, 1800 Buenaventura Blvd, Suite 200, Redding, CA 96001. We see patients from across Northern California and the greater Sacramento area.
