Laser hair removal results last for months to years after a full series of 6 to 8 sessions. The treatment gives long-term hair reduction, and a small amount of hair may grow back over time. How long laser hair removal results last depends on the body area, your hormones, and your hair colour.
Our certified medical laser specialists plan full laser hair removal series and follow-up touch-ups at all eight Laserbody MD clinics in Ontario, under medical oversight.
This guide explains what happens to your hair after treatment, how long each body area stays smooth, and how often you may need a touch-up. It also covers the things that make results last longer or shorter. Our medical team reviewed this guide for accuracy.
How Long Do Laser Hair Removal Results Last After a Full Series?
Most people stay mostly hair-free for months to years after their last session. The laser heats the hair follicle, which is the small pocket in the skin that grows each hair. Follicles that take in enough heat stop making hair for a long time. Our medical team plans every series of laser hair removal in Toronto and at our other clinics with this goal in mind.
This result is called permanent hair reduction. It means fewer hairs grow back after treatment, and that lower number stays steady over time. Health Canada's guide to cosmetic laser treatments explains that lasers can give some permanent hair reduction, but results are not the same for every person or every body area.
Research shows that the results hold up. In a small one-year study of underarm treatment, women who had 3 diode laser sessions still had about 70 percent less hair a year later. Their results at one year matched their results at 3 and 6 months. Our clinics use the same type of laser, the InMode Diolaze XL diode laser.
What Hair Looks Like When It Grows Back
Hair that grows back after laser treatment is usually thinner and lighter in colour. There is also less of it, with more space between hairs, so it is easier to shave and harder to see.
Regrowth often comes from follicles that were resting during your sessions or that took in less heat. These follicles can start making hair again months after your last visit. Hair you see 1 to 3 weeks after a session is treated hair falling out, so it does not count as regrowth.
How Long Laser Hair Removal Results Last on Each Body Area
Results last longer on some parts of the body than on others. The times below are estimates that clinics often quote for how long each area stays smooth before minor regrowth.
Research gives a similar picture. A 2022 University of Aberdeen review of five randomized trials measured hair 6 to 18 months after the last session. The legs and underarms kept the most hair reduction, and the face kept the least. Facial hair often returns sooner because hormones control much of its growth.
How Long Laser Lasts Compared With Shaving, Waxing, and Electrolysis
Laser hair removal lasts far longer than shaving or waxing, because it treats the follicle instead of the hair above or just below the skin. Electrolysis is the only method that removes hair permanently, but it treats one follicle at a time.
Laser suits most people who want long-term results on medium and large areas, such as the legs, back, or underarms. Electrolysis can make sense for small areas or for grey, white, or blonde hairs that the laser cannot treat.
How Often You Need Touch-Up Sessions After Laser Hair Removal
Most people need 1 or 2 touch-up sessions a year to keep their results. A touch-up treats the few hairs that grow back and stops new growth from building up between visits.
Book a touch-up when you notice new dark hairs in a treated area. These hairs are in the growth phase, which is the only phase the laser can treat. Clients treating facial hair, or hair linked to hormones, often need touch-ups more often than clients treating their legs or back.
How Laserbody MD Keeps Your Results Going
At Laserbody MD, your treatment plan does not end with your last session. Our medical team checks your results and tells you when a touch-up makes sense for each area you treated.
- Touch-up guarantee for members. Laserbody MD members are covered by our touch-up guarantee if hair returns in a treated area after their series.
- Membership plans. Membership plans lower the cost of your sessions and touch-ups, so keeping your results costs less over time.
- Payment plans. You can spread the cost of your treatment plan with a payment plan.
What Makes Laser Hair Removal Results Last Longer or Shorter
Three things decide how long your results last. These are your hormones, your hair colour and skin tone, and how closely you follow your session schedule.
Hormone Changes Can Wake Up Resting Follicles
Hormones control a large share of hair growth. Pregnancy, menopause, and conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) can wake up resting follicles that the laser never treated. This new growth comes from untreated follicles, and the hair you already treated stays reduced.
If you have PCOS, a PCOS laser hair removal plan with regular touch-ups keeps new growth under control. Our medical team can adjust your plan when your hormones change.
Hair Colour and Skin Tone Affect How Long Results Hold
The laser finds hair by its dark pigment. Dark, coarse hair on lighter skin takes in the most heat, so it tends to give the longest-lasting results. Blonde, red, grey, and white hair hold too little pigment for the laser to work well.
Darker skin needs a laser that heats the hair without overheating the skin around it. Our InMode Diolaze XL laser has a built-in cooling system, and our medical team runs a patch test before every plan for laser hair removal for dark skin.
Keeping to Your Session Schedule Catches Every Hair
Hair grows in cycles, and the laser only works on hair in the active growth phase. Health Canada's laser hair removal safety guidelines explain that because hair grows in phases, most people need repeated treatments. Spacing sessions 4 to 6 weeks apart lets the laser reach each new group of hairs as it starts to grow. Missed or late sessions let some hairs finish their cycle untreated, which can shorten how long your results last.
Avoid waxing, plucking, and threading between sessions, because the laser needs the hair root in place. Shaving is safe at any point in your series.
Laser Hair Removal Results FAQs
Do laser hair removal results last longer on the legs than on the face?
Yes, laser hair removal results usually last longer on the legs than on the face. Leg hair is mostly coarse and dark and is less affected by hormones, so many people stay smooth for 12 months or longer. Facial hair is closely linked to hormones, so new hairs can appear sooner, and many clients book a touch-up about once a year.
Will laser hair removal results last after pregnancy?
Yes, the hair you already treated stays reduced after pregnancy. Pregnancy hormones can wake up resting follicles that were never treated, so some people notice new hair on the face, stomach, or other areas. A few touch-up sessions after pregnancy usually bring the area back to where it was.
Can hair grow back thicker after laser hair removal?
In most cases, no. Hair that grows back after laser hair removal is usually thinner, lighter, and more spread out. In rare cases, people notice thicker hair growing near a treated area, often on the face or neck. If you notice this, tell your specialist so they can adjust your settings and plan.
How long do laser hair removal results last for men?
Laser hair removal results for men last as long as they do for women on most body areas, such as the back, chest, and shoulders. Men often have denser, darker hair that responds well to the laser. Areas driven by hormones, such as the beard and neck, may need more frequent touch-ups to keep results in place.
What happens if I stop laser hair removal before finishing my sessions?
If you stop laser hair removal before finishing your sessions, you keep the reduction from the sessions you had, but the results will not last as long. Some follicles will not have been treated in their growth phase, so more hair grows back sooner. You can restart your plan later, and our medical team will set a new session count based on your hair at that time.
Do laser hair removal results last on darker skin?
Yes, laser hair removal results last on darker skin when the clinic uses the right laser and settings. Dark hair on darker skin responds well to a diode laser, which heats the follicle while protecting the skin around it. At Laserbody MD, we use the InMode Diolaze XL diode laser with built-in cooling and run a patch test before your first full session.
Book a Laser Hair Removal Consultation at Laserbody MD
At a free consultation, our medical team looks at the body area you want treated and checks your hair colour and skin tone. We then tell you how many sessions to expect and how often you may need a touch-up.
Call 647-800-6741 or book a free consultation for laser hair removal at our clinics in Toronto, Scarborough, Brampton, Mississauga, Hamilton, Oakville, Pickering, and Richmond Hill.