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What Is Laser Hair Removal and How Follicle Targeting Works

| Written by Angela Hash
A provider at Savage Serenity MedSpa in Fresno passes a laser handpiece over a patient's lower arm during laser hair removal

Laser hair removal is a treatment that uses a focused beam of light to heat and damage the hair follicle so that less hair grows back. The light is absorbed by melanin, the pigment that gives hair its color, which is how the laser finds the follicle and leaves the skin around it alone. It takes a course of sessions; it works best on dark hair, and the result is a lasting reduction in hair, not a patch of skin where nothing ever grows again.

Laser hair removal at a glance

  • What it is: A light-based treatment that heats the pigment inside the hair follicle to reduce regrowth.
  • What it treats: Unwanted hair on the face and body. At Savage Serenity: the face, underarms, bikini and Brazilian areas, arms, legs, chest, back, and toes.
  • How it works: The pigment in the hair absorbs the light, the light becomes heat, and the heat damages the follicle. Only hairs in their growth phase respond, so it takes a series.
  • Best suited to: Dark hair. White, gray, and blonde hair have no pigment for the laser to find, and the practice does not treat gray or blonde hair.
  • Sessions: Savage Serenity typically recommends 9 to 12 sessions, spaced weeks apart so each one catches the next group of hairs in their growth phase. The number for you is set at consultation.
  • What you feel: Brief warm pinpricks, or a snap like a rubber band against the skin. Cooling is built into the handpiece or applied alongside it.
  • Recovery: Redness and swelling that looks like a mild sunburn for 1 to 3 days. No direct sun on the area for at least a week.
  • Results: A lasting reduction in the hair that grows back. Regrowth tends to be finer and lighter, and maintenance visits may be needed.
  • Performed by: Michelle Perkins, RN, and Candice Brantley, NP.
  • Pricing: Based on the time a treatment takes; quoted at your consultation.
  • Where it sits at Savage Serenity: The Savage Treatments menu, alongside microneedling and Sofwave.

What laser hair removal is

Laser hair removal is a medical treatment that reduces hair by damaging the follicle with heat. The lasers used for it include the long pulsed ruby, the alexandrite at 755 nm, the diode, and the Nd:YAG at 1064 nm. Intense pulsed light devices are also used for hair reduction; they work on the same principle, though they are not lasers, and the two are often lumped together in conversation.

Hair removal lasers are cleared by the FDA for permanent hair reduction, which is defined as a long term, stable reduction in the number of hairs regrowing when measured at 6, 9, and 12 months after a course of treatment ends. That is a measured claim, and it is the honest one. It means fewer hairs, finer hairs, and a longer stretch between the ones you do see. It does not mean every hair is gone; it is rare to see total clearance of every treated hair.

You will also hear it called laser hair reduction, which is the more accurate name. At Savage Serenity, laser hair removal in Fresno is one of the Savage Treatments, the clinical side of the menu, and it starts with a consultation so the settings are chosen for your skin and your hair before anything is turned on.

How does laser hair removal work?

Laser hair removal works by selective photothermolysis, which is the long name for a simple idea: light of one wavelength is absorbed by one target and turned into heat there. The target is melanin. There is more melanin in a dark hair than in the skin around it, and the wavelengths used for hair removal are absorbed more by darker colors than lighter ones, so the hair takes in most of the energy. The light becomes heat inside the hair shaft, the heat travels down to the follicle, and it reaches the papilla at the base, the small structure that feeds and grows the hair. Heat it enough and the follicle stops producing a normal hair.

The skin is spared because it holds less pigment than the hair, because the pulse is short, and because the handpiece cools the surface while it fires. Those three things are also why the choice of wavelength, pulse, and energy matters, and why the setting that suits one person is wrong for another.

Why it takes a series of sessions

Every hair cycles through a growth phase, a transition, and a resting phase, and the follicle is only sensitive to the laser during the growth phase, called anagen. At any moment, only some of the hairs in an area are in anagen. One session reaches those; the rest are missed. That is why a single treatment is expected to reduce hair by about 10 to 25 percent, and why most sessions are spaced 4 to 8 weeks apart, so the next group of hairs has moved into the growth phase before the laser comes back for them.

The number of sessions depends on the area, the thickness and color of the hair, your skin tone, and the device. The American Academy of Dermatology says most patients need 2 to 6 laser treatments; at Savage Serenity the usual recommendation is 9 to 12 sessions, and the number for you is set at your consultation and adjusted as the course goes on. Your provider will tell you when the next session can be booked; how sessions are spaced around the hair growth cycle is its own subject, and the short version is that sooner is not better.

What laser hair removal does not do

It does not work on hair that has no pigment. If the hair is white, gray, or blonde, there is no melanin for the light to find, and laser hair removal cannot work. Red hair absorbs the light poorly because its melanin is a different kind. Savage Serenity does not treat gray or blonde hair; for those hair colors, the consultation is the place to talk about other options.

It does not remove every hair, and it does not stop new follicles from switching on later with hormonal change, which is why maintenance sessions are part of the plan for many people. When facial hair growth is new or coarse, your provider may recommend a medical evaluation first.

What laser hair removal is used for

Laser hair removal is used for unwanted hair on the face and body: the upper lip and chin, the underarms, the bikini line, the arms and legs, the chest, and the back are the areas people ask about most. Ingrown hairs and razor bumps are a common reason to start, because fewer hairs regrowing means fewer hairs curling back into the skin after a shave. At Savage Serenity, laser hair removal is offered for the face, the underarms, the bikini and Brazilian areas, the arms and legs, the chest, the back, and the toes. Pricing is based on the time a treatment takes and is quoted at your consultation; what laser hair removal costs by area and package is covered separately.

Laser hair removal on darker skin

Darker skin has more melanin in the skin around each follicle, so the laser has two targets instead of one, and the settings have to be chosen so the follicle takes the energy and the skin does not. Diode and Nd:YAG lasers are the devices laser specialists prefer for skin of color with dark hair; the Nd:YAG’s longer wavelength is absorbed less by the skin’s own melanin. Darker skin tones are usually treated at lower energy, often need more sessions to reach the same reduction, and carry a higher risk of dark marks afterward, which is why a test spot before the first full session is good practice. The American Academy of Dermatology puts it plainly: laser hair removal must be performed very carefully in these patients. Skin type, the Fitzpatrick scale, and who can have laser hair removal has the full picture.

What happens at a laser hair removal appointment

A laser hair removal appointment starts with a consultation. Your provider looks at your skin tone and your hair, asks about your health, your medications, recent sun, and any history of cold sores in the area, and sets the plan: the device, the energy, how many sessions to expect, and how far apart. A test spot may be done first, especially on darker skin or skin that reacts easily.

Before each session, you shave the area a day or so ahead so a slight stubble remains; the laser needs the hair in the follicle, so plucking, waxing, and threading are off the table for about six weeks beforehand. You stay out of the sun and off self tanner, and if you are tan on the day, say so, because it changes what the laser can be set to.

In the room, the area is cleansed. Some people have a numbing gel applied, which takes 30 to 60 minutes to work. Everyone in the room wears protective eyewear, including you, because the light is a hazard to eyes at any distance. The handpiece is passed over the skin in pulses, with cooling from the device or a spray, air, or gel alongside it. Most people describe the pulses as warm pinpricks or a rubber band snapped against the skin. A small area takes about ten minutes; a large one can take up to an hour.

When you see results, and how long they last

Results from laser hair removal build over the course. After the first session you can expect a 10 to 25 percent reduction in the hair that grows back, and each session reaches the hairs the last one missed. Once the course is finished, many people see no hair in the area for months or years, and the hair that does return tends to be finer, lighter, and sparser than before.

How long that holds depends on the area and on you. The measured claim behind the treatment is a stable reduction in regrowing hair at 6, 9, and 12 months after the course ends. Beyond that, maintenance sessions are part of keeping an area clear for many people, commonly once or twice a year, and no one should promise you a result that never needs a touch up.

Risks and side effects

Laser hair removal carries risks, and the common ones are mild. Right after a session the treated skin is red and swollen and often looks like a mild sunburn. Discomfort, swelling, and redness are the most common side effects, and they last 1 to 3 days.

The serious risks are named by the dermatology and laser societies, and they are the reason settings and operator matter: pain beyond the ordinary, blisters, burns, a lightening or darkening of the skin that can be lasting, scarring, an outbreak of cold sores in the treated area, infection, and, rarely, an increase in hair growth in or near the treated area, which is called paradoxical hypertrichosis. Eye injury is a risk with every laser, which is why the eyewear is not optional. Burns, permanent color change, and scars are far more likely in inexperienced hands or with the wrong settings for your skin.

If you have intense pain or anything unexpected after a session, call the clinic right away, and do not wait to see if it settles. A blister, a burn, or any change in your vision is reported the same day.

Who should wait, or skip it

You will be asked about a few things before you are treated, and some of them change the plan:

  • A history of cold sores near the treatment area, because the laser can trigger an outbreak.
  • Acne medication, in particular isotretinoin, now or in the recent past.
  • Medications that make skin sensitive to light.
  • A tan, a sunburn, or self tanner on the area; treatment waits until the skin has settled.
  • Open, irritated, or infected skin in the area.
  • A history of skin cancer in the area.
  • Pregnancy or breastfeeding; treatment is deferred, as the practice’s policy sets.

And if the hair in the area is white, gray, or blonde, laser hair removal is the wrong tool, and your provider will say so.

Aftercare, briefly

Aftercare for laser hair removal is short. A cool compress helps with the sting. Keep direct sun off the treated skin for at least a week, skip tanning beds and sun lamps entirely, and when the area is exposed, use a broad spectrum, water resistant sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher. Shaving is fine between sessions; plucking and waxing are not. You will be given written instructions on the day, and they come first.

In Fresno the sun does most of the work for most of the year, so the sun rule shapes the calendar. Many people start a course in the cooler months, when keeping an area covered is easy, and are through most of their sessions by the time summer arrives.

Laser hair removal at Savage Serenity

Laser hair removal at Savage Serenity sits on the Savage Treatments menu, the clinical side of the practice. It is performed by Michelle Perkins, RN, and Candice Brantley, NP, nurse injectors who also plan and perform the practice’s injectable treatments. Angela Hash, BSN, RN, leads the practice and trains the team, and Dr. Luis Lee is the practice’s medical director and supervising physician. Every course begins with a consultation, where your skin tone, your hair, and your history decide the device settings and the spacing, and where the areas and the pricing are set out before you book.

Laser hair removal shares the menu with Sofwave, the practice’s ultrasound skin tightening treatment, and with microneedling, and the consultation is the place to ask whether one of those belongs in the same plan. Pricing is based on the time a treatment takes, it is quoted at your consultation, and financing is available.

Frequently asked questions about laser hair removal

Is laser hair removal permanent?

Laser hair removal gives a permanent reduction in hair, not permanent removal. The measured claim is a stable reduction in the hairs that regrow at 6, 9, and 12 months after a course ends. Many people see little or no hair for months or years, and the hair that returns is usually finer and lighter.

How many laser hair removal sessions do I need?

Savage Serenity typically recommends 9 to 12 sessions, spaced weeks apart to catch each group of hairs in its growth phase. The number depends on the area, the hair, your skin tone, and the device, and darker skin tones often need more sessions at gentler settings. Your provider sets the count at consultation and adjusts it as the course goes on.

Does laser hair removal hurt?

It stings. Most people describe each pulse as a warm pinprick or a rubber band snapped against the skin, and the handpiece cools the skin as it goes. A numbing gel can be applied beforehand for sensitive areas, and the redness and sting afterward usually settle within 1 to 3 days.

Does laser hair removal work on dark skin?

Yes, with the right device and settings. Diode and Nd:YAG lasers are preferred for skin of color, energy is kept lower, more sessions are often needed, and a test spot is done first, because darker skin carries a higher risk of burns and dark marks after laser treatment.

Does laser hair removal work on blonde, gray, or red hair?

No for white, gray, and blonde hair: without melanin in the hair there is nothing for the laser to target, and the treatment cannot work, so Savage Serenity does not treat gray or blonde hair. Red hair absorbs the light poorly because its pigment is a different type, so results are limited. For those hair colors, ask about alternatives at your consultation.

Can I shave between laser hair removal sessions?

Yes. Shaving removes the hair above the skin and leaves the follicle in place for the laser to find, so you shave before each session and as needed in between. Plucking, waxing, and threading pull the hair out by the root, which leaves the laser nothing to treat, so they are stopped for about six weeks before a session and throughout the course.

Book a laser hair removal consultation in Fresno

If you are ready to find out whether laser hair removal fits your skin and your hair, book a consultation at Savage Serenity MedSpa in Fresno. The visit covers your skin tone, the areas you want treated, how many sessions to plan for, and what it will cost based on the time your treatment takes.

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Angela Hash, BSN, RN, nurse injector at Savage Serenity MedSpa in Fresno
About the Author
Angela Hash
Angela is a distinguished leader in the aesthetic industry and owner of Savage Serenity. She graduated from nursing school in 2007 and has been in the aesthetic industry since 2012. She loves seeing the impact she has on others’ self-esteem and…
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