How often do you need to do at-home laser hair removal?

It's exciting to buy a new beauty gadget, especially an at-home laser hair removal device, and when you're unboxing it, that's when the real intrigue begins. These initial questions will most likely pop into your head: What will it do, and how fast? I've tried a lot of beauty gizmos, and 99.9% of them are not overnight sensations. It takes time and dedication to see results with any device, and it is all up to you to make the magic happen. One of the most common questions asked by customers is: How often do I need to use your hair removal lasers? Sometimes we hear that customers are using our 4X Hair Removal Laser every day, thinking that doing so will speed up the results. Unfortunately, using our hair removal device daily will not do anything but waste the number of laser pulses contained within the laser. Let me explain how at-home laser hair removal works and why you can't use it daily.

Your body hair must be in the anagen hair growth phase

It's true. There is a reason why we suggest using our hair removal devices once every two weeks. The reason is that the hair follicle can only be 'killed' by the laser when your body hair is in the anagen hair growth phase. (Click that link to read all about hair growth phases and laser hair removal.) This is the growing phase of the hair and the only phase that laser hair removal will work on. Only 20% of your body hair is in this phase at any given time. This is why you need to treat the hairs multiple times over a period of at least three months, or 5-6 treatments. The anagen phase lasts 2-3 weeks and then goes into catagen, telogen and exogen when the hair falls out and starts a new growth phase all over again. <!--more--> Since we want to catch the hair follicle in the anagen phase, we must treat every two weeks, without skipping a treatment day. It's best to mark your calendar to make sure you don't miss your date with the laser!

Use your laser pulses only when you need to

It's good to keep in mind that both our Precision Hair Removal Laser and 4X Laser contain an internal rechargeable battery that hold about 90,000 laser pulses. While this is a lot of pulses, if you used the laser daily, you would still have to use the laser for several months to see the results you want. Conserve your laser's battery by using it only once every two weeks, and you should be able to use the laser for 2-3 years with proper battery maintenance. Charging the battery at least once every three months helps keep the battery healthy.

Trust the process

It's definitely worth the time and effort doing your own at-home laser hair removal. Once the hair follicles have been successfully treated with the laser, you most likely will not have to worry about hair growth for quite some time! It can take from 3 to 6 months to see full results, so it is important not to get frustrated and give up on your progress. Keep going! My favorite thing to do when treating larger areas, such as legs, is to put my feet up and turn on my favorite show and start blasting away those follicles. It doesn't have to be a daunting task (at least you don't have to wear protective glasses like you do when using IPL). VIDEO: See what double-certified cosmetic dermatologist Dr. Karan Lal has to say about how often you should use at-home hair removal: