okay here we go! Number one, I am in no way any expert at this whole laser hair removal stuff, I'm just speaking of how I "think" it's supposed to work.
Anyways. . . to start this off, hairs grow in cycles. Apparently that's why they schedule normally a month apart when doing laser, because the hair that they laser *might* die, or it might not. It's never a guarantee they fall out after each treatment. Also, laser is said to be a permanent hair reduction, not removal. So, you will still have tiny hairs left I believe too at the end of your laser treatment, after your "x" amount of sessions they tell you you need.
I've only had two laser sessions, and so far some hair is gone, I don't notice it going away since I can't grow a beard or anything though. I notice my facial hair also grows extremely slow now, I shave once every two weeks now. I don't know if hormones had anything to do with it, or laser and hormones, or neither, don't know to be honest.
Moving onto like hair growth, I'm going to copy some hair removal site and post it on here, maybe it'll help clarify since I don't really know what I'm talking about either.
"It is a non-invasive procedure that works by targeting melanin, or pigmented hair in the follicle. The laser destroys certain structures in the hair follicle without damaging surrounding tissue. . . First, hair cells grow in cycles and can only be treated in their growth phase. Depending on the body area, and average of 30% of the hair cells may be in the growth phase at any time. Second, hairs are either coarse or fine, and follicles may be found at different depths and densities. Additionally, since the laser targets pigment, darker hair absorbs more of the laser energy and lighter hair absorbs less"
And here's some little thing from webmd on how laser hair removal works, it's a little outdated but it should work all right.
"Oct. 9, 2000 -- Yes, it works -- but only for some people. And contrary to popular belief, a few zaps of a laser doesn't mean you can totally retire your razor. What the laser can do, however, is to reduce the amount of hair you have and, perhaps, lead to some permanent hair removal. In addition, it can lighten the color of the hair and decrease its thickness.
Laser hair removal takes about an hour for both legs. As the laser is moved over your legs, the light passes through your skin and gets absorbed by the melanin (pigment) in the hair follicles. Although no one knows exactly how lasers reduce hair growth, the most popular theory is that the heat generated by the laser breaks apart the follicle. Over the next two months, hairs gradually fall out. For most people, the pain -- similar to a rubber band snapping on the skin -- is quite tolerable. If you're very sensitive, however, your doctor can apply a topical anesthetic cream to numb the area.
Before you sign up for laser hair removal, though, take into account your natural hair and skin color, as the treatment tends to work best on fair-skinned people with dark hair. If you're tan or have a darker skin tone, the laser gets absorbed by the pigment in the skin and doesn't reach the hair follicle, limiting the effect of the treatment and potentially damaging the skin. The procedure doesn't seem to work very well on light-haired people either, whose hair contains little melanin.
You should keep in mind that three or four treatments, six to eight weeks apart, may be needed to achieve a meaningful reduction in the amount of hair on your legs (or elsewhere). After that, you'll need to wait a year to see the full effect of the treatment (hair growth cycles are about six months long, so it's best to wait through two growth cycles to see the final results).
Since the area treated will be extremely sensitive for a few days, it is wise to wear both protective clothing and sun block whenever you're outside. In addition, plan to limit your sun exposure for a day or two after the treatment, as you can expect some slight swelling and redness. These side effects should disappear within a day and can be soothed with ice or a mild anti-inflammatory cream. More rare side effects include peeling, blistering, and burning of the skin as well as brown spots and slight loss of pigment in areas where the laser has been used.
Taking all of these factors into account, if you have your heart set on total and permanent hair removal, electrolysis -- where an electrical pulse is used to permanently stop the hair follicles from producing hair -- may be a better bet than going under the laser. "
Here's the link to it too if you'd rather read it there:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/43/1689_51063.htmAnyways, since I don't know much I'm just going to shut up here. I'm sure someone is more experienced than me in describing this in super detail, so I'll wait for them to reply hehe.
Another good site to read would probably be this one, although it's pretty much advertising a laser for people to use lol.
http://www.laserforless.com/how.html
