At any one point hair can be in three different phases: anagen (growing phase), catagen (intermediate phase), telogen (resting or quiescent phase).  Only hair that is in the active growth phase known as anagen will respond to the Laser. This is why laser treatments for hair removal have to be done in stages approximately every 4-6 weeks so that any inactive hair follicles (ie. in non-growing phases) can start to grow and will be targeted by the next or following treatment.

The number of treatments an individual need depends on their skin colour and type, hair colour, medical history and the area being treated. Those with darker skin often need more treatments and care has to be taken not to damage the pigment or colour in the skin during treatments. For this reason, we recommend that only highly skilled laser professionals perform these kinds of treatments.

Most people will need at least 6 treatments to achieve an 85-95% reduction of hair in the treatment area. Occasional maintenance treatments might be needed as we cannot prevent sporadic new hairs from forming.

Lasers have advanced so much that laser hair removal nowadays is virtually painless. At most it will feel like an elastic band pinging against the skin. At La Belle Forme we use the best and safest lasers for hair removal in people of all skin types.

It is extremely important that you use a high quality laser for your hair removal treatments. Some clinics and salons use poor quality machines that can cause skin burns or work to ‘stun’ the hair temporarily. What happens in this instance is that all the hair will grow back. If a high quality laser is used (e.g. Fotona ND Yag laser) and the treatment is performed by highly trained practitioners then you will get excellent hair removal results with no risk of burning the skin.

We cannot use lasers on a suntanned skin or if you are wearing fake tanning products. If you have an active suntan you will be advised to wait 4 weeks until commencing your treatment. We do not advise light or laser treatment during pregnancy nor for anyone with vitiligo, a depigmenting skin condition. If you would like further advise on your suitability for laser hair removal then please ask your clinician.

After your treatments we ask that you avoid the sun. Over the course of your treatments you will notice that less hair grows back and that the hair distribution starts to become very patchy. By the end of your treatment course there should be significant to complete hair reduction. Please note that some people will need maintenance treatments to remove new sporadic hair growth in the area in the future. Your clinician can advise you further on this.