Question: I am a 19-year-old woman, and I would like to have laser treatments performed on my legs so I do not have to shave as often. I read something that was a troubling though when I looked online for information. Is it true that finer hair can actually be stimulated to grow by lasers intended to remove the hair?
Answer: I would have to say that that is an urban legend due to the fact that there really is no way for a laser hair removal system to stimulate hairs to grow, as what they essentially do is target the hair follicle and injure this tissue. By injuring the hair follicle, the follicle either does not regrow and thus the hair is removed or it will regrow hair that is much thinner and less pigmented than it had been. Either way, you will not stimulate hair growth, you will not create thicker hair, and you certainly will not darken hair through the use of laser hair removal treatments. If you are going to have your full legs treated, however, I would highly recommend seeking out a medical spa such as Quintessa Medical Spa where we have the Lumines Duet system for laser hair reduction. This system has a much larger spot size and, in combination with the suction, creates greatly reduced discomfort, and we can perform laser hair removal on a large surface area in a fraction of the time compared to the older laser hair removal systems than most facilities still use today.