I’ve had more laser treatments on my face than I can count and I think I’m at the end of the road. Here’s the problem, though… I’ve been shaving the hair on my face for so long that I’m not used to having blonde hairs on my face any more. Especially my chin. The blonde hairs are growing in now but they don’t look right to me. Some of them aren’t noticable, but others look shiny, pointy, or too long. I feel very uncomfortable with these blonde hairs on my chin. I’m not really sure how to get used to them… this is a really awkward stage in the process for me. Has anyone else had this problem post-laser? If I have the blonde hairs removed (via electrolysis or the new blonde laser) will the very fine, blonde velus hair grow in?
Hi Winsome-- the blonde hairs you describe after laser are so common that the condition has a name: leukotrichia. It was first reported in medical data in the mid 1990s, and liteally means white-hairs.
What happens is that lasers target melanin. With each successive treatment, lasers destroy more and more of the melanin. This can have a great cosmetic effect for dark-haired consumers, since it often reduces the shadow one can see under the skin.
There’s a downside, though. The less melanin means the less will happen with each successive laser treatment. That’s why at this point, I recommend getting those straggles with electrolysis.
The “blonde laser” appears to be a marketing scam. I have seen no evidence that lasers available in the country can permanently remoive blonde hair, even with the chromophore lotions being touted.