Should laser epilation be performed in adolescence?
Anadolu Health Center Skin Diseases Specialists make recommendations about the effects of laser epilation to teenage girls and their parents who want to get rid of their hair at an early age.
What is laser epilation?
Laser epilation is one of the methods to prevent and remove unwanted body hair. Laser epilation session intervals and duration, which can be applied to almost all skin types and all ages, vary depending on the area where it is applied and skin type. In laser epilation, the target tissue is the pigment cells in the hair follicles. Stem cells that enable the growth of pigment cells are located in the hair follicles and in the middle part of the hair shaft, called the “bulb”. Hair growth; It occurs in three phases: active growth (anagen), shedding (catagen) and rest (telogen). The length of these phases varies in each region. For this reason, laser epilation session intervals vary depending on the applied area. Laser epilation applications should be performed at the beginning of the “anagen” period, which is called the active growth phase. Laser epilation is only effective on hard and dark hair. It is not effective on light colored and lifeless hair. During the telogen period, called rest, there are no pigment cells in the hair follicles.
Laser epilation is not recommended for people under the age of 16
Androgen hormones are effective in the proliferation and growth of hair. Androgens are released from the testes in men and the ovaries and adrenal glands in women. Hair growth that occurs during adolescence due to active hormonal stimulation can become a problem for teenage children and their families. Between the ages of 12-16 (or 18), when puberty continues, hormonal production and the sensitivity of hair follicles to these hormones increase. Laser epilation at these ages is not very effective in hair loss, and the response is delayed. Laser epilation is not recommended for those aged 16 and under. If there are ovarian cysts or other conditions that increase hair growth and laser epilation is absolutely necessary, care should be taken to keep session intervals longer than normal laser session intervals. In addition, hormone analyzes for the cause of hair growth must be performed before starting the laser epilation process.
