Does hair grow back after pregnancy if you have had laser hair removal? -

No, all of your unwanted hair growth should not grow back after pregnancy if you have had laser hair removal. However, you may see a slight increase in fine, light growth a few weeks after birth. During pregnancy, it is not uncommon for excess hair to develop. We would strongly recommend not treating this hair if you have noticed it started growing while you were pregnant. This hair tends to reduce when hormones have had a chance to regulate in the months after birth. If you notice you have slight regrowth in your treatment area simply have 1-2 top-ups at an 8-10 week interval to reduce this growth. Again this is a result of hormone levels fluctuating after birth.

Does hair grow back after pregnancy if you have had laser hair removal?

This question can be a concern if you plan to become pregnant.

In general, a full course of 6-10+ sessions is needed to see an 80-85% reduction in growth. Top-ups are needed 1-3 per year to maintain results. If you have had a full course of laser hair removal treatments before pregnancy you may have achieved this reduction. If you did not have a full course results may not be as good due to you not completing this. Results from laser can vary from person to person depending on a number of factors.

The success of laser hair removal after pregnancy largely depends on the following factors

Factors that affect if hair will grow back after pregnancy if you have had laser hair removal

Lasers used for laser hair removal treatment

Medical-grade lasers will give the best results in fewer sessions. Alexandrite and Nd:Yag are safe and effective on all skin types. These lasers are clinically proven to work and have undergone clinical trials to deem them safe. We only use Cynosure grade 4 medical lasers in our clinics. Medical-grade lasers penetrate deeper into the skin so are more effective when targeting hairs.

Settings selected throughout your course of laser hair removal

Settings are extremely important for results. If settings are not increased at the right time your results will suffer. Because we are a dedicated hair removal clinic all of our staff are trained to use the full range of settings our lasers have to offer. Setting increases are vital to the success of your treatments. If they are not increased enough hairs won’t be completely disabled. If settings have been kept consistently low throughout your course of laser they may regenerate. In some instances where settings were kept low full regrowth may return after you have given birth.

Your skin and hair type

For pale skin a contrast between pale skin and dark hair is important. If hairs contain a good level of pigment/melanin they respond well. For hairs that are lighter in colour, laser will not be as effective when treating them. If you have mid/light brown hair you may find hairs are much slower to respond. After pregnancy, you may notice more regrowth of these hairs.

For darker skin hairs are targeted differently. The blood supply is the main target for the laser to target. Due to the energy being delivered a little differently, results can be slightly slower. Again you may see more regrowth on finer lighter hairs in your treatment area.

The confidence and skill level of your therapist is a key factor. If therapists are not fully trained and are not confident you won’t get the results you are looking for. Our therapists perform laser all day, every day, and are very experienced. Being dedicated hair removal specialists they know exactly what’s needed to achieve great results. When you start a course with us we assign one therapist to look after you. Results are constantly monitored and assessed. Changes can be made if needed to your treatment course. If you are moved to various different therapists throughout your course this will show in the level of results you achieve.

Amount of laser sessions you have had before pregnancy

To get the full benefit from treatment a full course is recommended. If you have only had a few sessions before becoming pregnant you will see regrowth when you stop. After you give birth you will see normal regrowth if you have only had a couple of sessions. The more sessions you have had before becoming pregnant the less regrowth you will see. Read more about how many sessions are needed for laser hair removal here.

Treatment intervals

It is essential to keep to the recommended timeframes for treatment. 4 weeks for the face and 6-8 weeks for the body is recommended to start. If much longer gaps are left in between sessions this will affect results. The anagen/growing stage is the most important for laser. If hairs are treated in this stage, laser will be effective. However, if they are not, the laser won’t have any impact on them. These timeframes allow for the best opportunity to catch hairs in this cycle. In general, people who stick to these timeframes see the best results.

Underlying medical issues

If you have an underlying medical issue this may impact the results you see after pregnancy. Hormones will fluctuate considerably during this time. Due to the abundance of hormones in the body at this stage hair follicles may be stimulated. An increase in growth occurs sometimes, especially for women who may have a hormonal issue like PCOS. If this happens top ups are recommended to reduce growth again.

Examples of how hair can grow back after pregnancy if you have had laser hair removal

The parameters needed to achieve excellent results from laser are very defined.

For example

A person treated on an IPL, with constantly low settings at varying intensities, by different therapists at inconsistent timeframes. Having not completed a full course and having an underlying medical issue is more likely to see high levels of regrowth after pregnancy. Due to these issues results from a course of treatments carried out in this way will be poor.

In contrast to

A person treated with a medical grade laser, with settings increased in line with their skin and hair type at regular time intervals by one therapist. Has completed a full course and has no underlying medical issues is likely to see minimal levels of regrowth after pregnancy. As a result of all these factors being focused on there is a high chance results will be successful long term.

As you can see from these examples each of these factors play an important role. Each one of these is a contributing factor that determines the success rate of your treatments. After you give birth your body needs time to recover. Hormones will also need some time to regulate after you give birth. This process varies from person to person. However, we would recommend waiting at least 4-6 months before having laser done again. This time frame may need to extend depending on your individual circumstances. For women who have had a C-section or an episiotomy, you may need longer if having the bikini area treated.

Contact us if you have any issues with results from laser after pregnancy.

If you are considering laser and have any questions or concerns get in touch. If you are planning a pregnancy and are thinking about starting a course it’s important you know what’s involved. You need to know things like does hair grow back after pregnancy if you have had laser hair removal. With this in mind you can make an informed decision on if you want to start. We would always recommend a consultation and patch test for your safety. If you have had laser before and have given birth and are now seeing regrowth we can help.