← Back to Blog

When Is Laser Hair Removal Most Effective?

Posted on: October 17, 2017  |   Category:

South West Plastic Surgery Clear Scan YAG Laser hair removal marketing photoDuring the colder seasons, people tend not to worry about things like shaving their legs every day. We dress in layers to guard against the cold, women wear pants most of the time, and some men grow out their beards to keep warm. However, if you want smooth, hairless skin during the spring and summer, the fall and winter seasons are the best time to begin laser hair removal treatments. Getting laser hair removal during this time of year will help you be prepared to more fully enjoy the summer without having to worry about shaving or waxing every day.

The Treatment Process

At your consultation for laser hair removal, you will learn that the treatment process takes time. Each hair on your body cycles through phases of growth, resting, and shedding, and even two adjacent hair follicles could be in completely different phases at the same time. A single treatment destroys hair follicles in the active growth phase, but even though many hairs in the treated area will be in this phase, others will be in the resting or shedding phases when you undergo the treatment. Because hair growth occurs in cycles, you will need to wait approximately six weeks between treatment sessions to let more of your hair follicles transition through the cycle to the growth phase. Depending on how much hair you wish to have removed, your overall treatment could require several sessions, each spaced six weeks apart.

Why Fall and Winter Are Best for Laser Hair Removal

Because laser hair removal requires a series of treatments, it can take several months to achieve your desired results. If you wait until spring to begin treatment, it could be well into summer before your treatments are complete, in which case you may have to continue shaving or waxing for a period of time before you can enjoy your smooth, bare skin. By starting treatments in the fall and winter, you will have plenty of time to treat and eliminate unwanted hair before it is time to start wearing shorts, skirts, summer dresses, and swimsuits again.

Laser hair removal is most effective in the fall or winter for other reasons as well. First, the treatment requires you to avoid waxing for a full six weeks beforehand, as longer hair makes it easier for the laser to target and destroy the hair follicles. The cold weather provides the perfect excuse to dress in layers to hide unwanted hair growth during this time. It is also a perfect excuse to temporarily grow a beard. It is recommended to avoid sun exposure while you are having laser treatments done, and the fall and winter seasons give you more opportunities to stay inside and out of the sun. Laser hair removal treatment also tends to be more effective on natural skin tones, not tanned, and especially on pale skin. While our plastic surgeons at Southwest Plastic Surgery can successfully perform laser hair removal on any skin color and hair type, those with fair skin and darker hair will especially benefit from getting treatment in the fall and winter.

Our Southwest Plastic Surgery specialists can use advanced laser technology to perform laser hair removal for patients with all skin tones and hair types. Now is the perfect time to consider laser hair removal to get ready for next year’s warmer seasons. To schedule your consultation, visit us online or call (915) 590-7900 today.