Hair regrowth after laser

[Bluebirdbook]

Hi, just looking for some advice on this. I’ve been getting laser hair removal on my underarms and bikini for a few years now. I had 8 initial sessions and then I need top ups every 3 months or so. I’ve achieved a decent reduction of hair that never comes back but some hair does grow back in patches.

I’ve recently moved to a more rural location where it’s difficult to get to a clinic. Plus I’m on antihistamines for the whole summer due to hayfever and you are not supposed to get laser treatment while taking these, so I’m looking for a way to remove this regrowth. I know I could shave but once I shave I’ll get stubble quite quickly and I find it very itchy. I’m really thinking of an epilator but all the reviews say they are really painful.

I’m just wondering what others do who get regrowth after laser. Do you keep going back to the clinic for tops ups or did you find an alternative. Any advice appreciated.

get a at home ipl machine and do your own top ups

Philips lumea prestige

I could literally have written this.

epilating looks great afterwards and possible a good idea for a special event - wedding, holiday etc. but I 100% don’t recommend it if at all possible. They cause ingrown hairs. And I don’t just mean the odd one or two. I’m talking 70-80% and you’ll have to exfoliate like mad for the following weeks to get the hairs to come out the surface of the skin.

philips lumea is alright but I can’t help feel it messes with the laser.
I also had laser for years but moved somewhere rural. Can I ask how much you were paying per session/ for a course and what body area? I think prices have just shot up so much.

laser worked a treat for me where I used to live. Tried it here and I think from the shaving it’s actually made it worse (the laser did nothing)

Glad to know I’m not alone! I just looked at the prices recently and I can get an offer of about €230 for 3 sessions of underarm and bikini. It just would be such a trek for me to get to the nearest city to get it done.

I didn’t realise about epilating causing ingrown hairs, that’s good to know. I’m currently plucking out individual hairs with a tweezers, which is definitely not the solution, especially for the biking area!

Sorry, think I had a name change fail above! Thanks for the replies, much appreciated.

In my case I run to my dermatologist or top off with some wax for the pain not to built up that strong, it's also one of the advices I got coming from Laser Hair Removal Treatments FAQ's from MD Laser and Cosmetics San Mateo.

If you're having laser treatment then you must NOT do anything else besides shave! Laser/IPL needs the pigment in the hair left behind in the follicle after shaving, in order to work! It uses the pigment in the hair. If you wax/epilate/thread then the entire blade of hair will be gone, meaning no pigment and therefore no hair reduction!

I 2nd what the last person said. I've had everything lasered and if you do it correctly, you do it in one hit & then never again. That means a consistent repeat of appointments at the correct intervals for different parts of the body. I forget the figures now but it was something like every 6wks for legs & more often for bikini line. If you stop & start the hair can regain vigour. I've had no regrow whatsoever for 10yrs now.

Had a course of 8 sessions for my face, all regrew pretty much as soon as the course was finished. I shave or pluck as much out as I can each day now.

I know I shouldn’t do anything else but shave, but seeing as I’ve been getting laser since 2018 I’m pretty sure the patches that keep growing back will always grow back. I’d happily keep going back for top ups every 3 months but I just live too far away from any clinic now so I was just wondering another alternatives for the patches that keeping coming back.

Philips Lumea, I didn't have any professional laser only had a lumea and barely any regrowth at at least 6 years since the last time I used it.

Lumea didn't work for me. If you get a cordless one you also have to be careful to keep it charged or the battery dies.

Smoothskin (corded) IPL on the other hand was a game changer. I only use it when I remember now and am still way less than 10% gorilla.

My best advice would be to compare the specs on any home IPL machine if you want to consider one.

I had laser years ago on my bikini line and have regrowth now but some that never grows back. I can shave now and it lasts a while whereas previously it wouldn't last a day. I have a Philips Lumea and find it effective but I haven't been so good on sticking to a schedule so have noticed the hair is starting to grow back quicker now! I will try to be more consistent over the winter when I'm not out in the sun.
Completely disagree with the epilating comment by the way, I epilated for years and got the occasional nasty in growing hair but way less than shaving, I think it just depends on your hair and skin type. But as per above you need to shave before you laser as there had to be something of the root left for the laser to work

Interesting thread as I'm currently undergoing laser hair removal. I was told that if done in the correct intervals and consistently, their should be minimal regrowth if any.

Could it be down to the laser that is being used? There are different ones out there and some are meant to be more effective than others.

I would say it's probably going to be down to the intervals and consistency though.

In regards to epilating, if you've waxed before then you should be fine with epilating. And you get used to it after a while. I used to epilate all the time and I don't find it hurts, but obviously everyone has a different pain threshold.

I had a course of laser a few years back and also struggled with regrowth. I had a Hollywood and from the “front view” the results were great, however underneath I have quite a lot of regrowth. It’s incredibly patchy so now I just wax when I need to for things like holidays. The good thing is that the hair is very thin after laser so waxing really doesn’t hurt much.

I really should do another course of laser but I hate having to shave so much it puts me off. Even shaving my underarms leaves me itchy for days afterwards.

Well I was getting it at the recommended consistency for 2 years until the pandemic. However I’d been told in advance that they can’t promise full hair removal just growth reduction. I do think different lasers are more effective. The clinic I used to go to closed for a week while they trained staff on a new, more effective laser at some point. But I really think it depends on the person. I’ve a friend who despite being an “ideal candidate” for laser, with dark hair and pale skin, it didn’t work for at all.

I’ve a high enough pain threshold alright. Used to get waxed but would never go back to that now!

I’ve had laser from head to toe. I finished my treatments 6 years ago, have never had any top ups and still have no regrowth…and I had a lot of hair. And I mean a lot…I’m Middle Eastern! I can’t remember the last time I shaved my legs, although I do still epilate my arms…there was a small patch above my elbows on both arms that never responded to treatment, but that’s all I need to deal with.

What machine have you been using? It’s not just about the intervals but also making sure the laser has the right wavelength for your skin tone and hair colour. I know too many women who spend a fortune on laser with minimal results because they’re not using the right machine.