Excessive / Unwanted Hair

Not All Hairs Grow Equally

This is the main reason why hair removal procedures often require repeated sessions. Our hair grows in stages. In addition, while there are over 2,500 hair follicles in any square inch of skin, approximately only 100 of them are visible. This is why it is difficult to say how many treatments are required to treat an area.

Hair Cycles

Stage 1 – Anagen phase: this is the beginning of hair growth. It is when the hair is visible above the skin is attached to the papilla – a knoblike vascular indentation of the bottom of the hair follicle on which the hair bulb fits.

The Anagen phase is ideal for laser or IPL hair removal as the follicle is still attached to the papilla, which allows any energy from the laser or IPL to reach the papilla and prevent any new hair growth.

This growth period varies for different areas: scalp hair stays in this phase for two to six years, but hair on the arms, legs, lashes and brows have a short Anagen phase that last about 30 to 45 days.

Stage 2 – Catagen phase: about 3% of hair on your body is currently in this phase. This phase lasts approximately two to three weeks, during which the hair doesn’t grow and starts to shed. In fact, hair follicles in this stage tend to shrink to a fraction of its original length. Any hair removal treatment done will not have any effect on a follicle in this phase.

Stage 3 – Telogen phase: also known as the resting phase. About six to eight per cent of your hair is in this phase. In this stage there is no growth, and the follicle is detached from the papilla. This means that any hair removal treatment done will have no effect on hair in this phase. The time a hair stays in this stage is also fairly unpredictable.

Recommendations:

• I2PL (Generation 2 Intense Pulsed Light)