What Happens If You Miss a Laser Hair Removal Treatment?

Laser hair removal treatments are one of the most popular aesthetic procedures today for both men and women. To achieve the best hair removal treatment results, you’ll need to commit to attending multiple sessions over a designated amount of time according to a treatment plan. It’s an investment now that pays amazing dividends in your future in terms of saving time and money, not having to constantly worry about maintaining the growth of unwanted hair. However, sometimes life gets in the way and you miss a session, or you may see results earlier than you were expecting, and decide not to continue to the end of your treatment plan. Missing hair removal treatments may not seem like a big deal—until the hair starts to grow back and you’re back where you started. Read on to find out what happens when you miss a laser hair removal treatment, and how to get back on track.

How Laser Hair Removal Works

There are two technologies trusted by aesthetic treatment providers to deliver optimal hair removal results. One is Intense Pulsed Light (IPL), and the other is diode laser technology. Both work by delivering energy to the hair follicle, where it’s absorbed by the hair pigment. This destroys the follicle so that the hair cannot grow anymore, over time this significantly reduces hair growth. Most people seeking a reduction in hair growth will require 4-10 sessions, but this can vary for each individual depending on their skin type, hair color, diameter and density, and the area being treated. Your certified treatment provider will create a plan customized to you.

The treatments are optimal for people seeking long-lasting results. Best of all, the sessions are fast and comfortable. They can be completed over a lunch break, with no downtime, meaning it’s safe to return to work or resume your normal activities immediately after treatment. Using advanced laser technology also ensures a comfortable hair removal experience. During treatment, you’ll feel some heat in the area, but this will be minimized by a real-time cooling system that protects your skin. The laser itself feels like a series of light snaps as the technician glides the applicator continuously across the treatment area.

What Happens When You Miss a Session?

When it comes to laser hair removal, timing is crucial, and missing a session is one of the mistakes you can make that will jeopardize your results. This is because the hair grows in three stages: the anagen (growth) stage, the catagen (transitional) stage, and the telogen (resting) stage. Hair removal devices such as Venus Velocity™ and Venus Epileve™ use diode laser technology, and Venus Versa™ utilizes IPL technology to target the hair follicle in the anagen phase, which is when the hair responds best to the treatment.

Treatment sessions are spaced 4-8 weeks apart depending on which area of the body you happen to be treating. Your treatment provider will be knowledgeable about how the growth stages of hair on the leg differs from, say, the face, and will have scheduled your treatment sessions accordingly. For this reason, if you do miss a laser hair removal treatment, it’s important to return to the same clinic, who can get you back on track for the most effective laser hair removal results. Note that you may need additional sessions to ensure that every follicle has been targeted for removal during the appropriate growth stage.

What to Do if You Miss a Session

Don’t panic, and don’t give up on your hair removal journey. If you miss a laser hair removal session, it’s important to get back on schedule right away. The reason for this is because the hair that hasn’t been treated during its growth cycle will return when it is in its growth phase. At any one time, 30-40% of your hair is in a resting state, meaning there is no hair in the follicle—so even if it seems like you can skip a treatment, that hair is just waiting for its turn to grow back. Attending every session until your treatment plan is complete is the best way to keep that unwanted hair gone for good, and giving you the best hair removal results. Get in touch with your treatment provider and let them know of your concerns about missing a session so they can adjust your treatment plan accordingly.

Certified Treatment Providers to the Rescue

If you’re tired of shaving, plucking, waxing, or using messy depilatory creams that sting, it’s time to turn to a reliable, safe, and hassle-free method of hair removal. You can get started on your journey to smooth, stubble-free skin by finding a treatment provider that uses our Venus Epileve™ and Venus Velocity™ for laser hair removal treatments, or Venus Versa™ for IPL hair removal treatments. Alternatively, if you’ve skipped a hair removal treatment or have had unsatisfying results from a previous experience, let us connect you with certified treatment providers to get hair removal near you, by using the search field below: