Excessive facial regrowth after laser hair removal

I’m not sure if my facial laser hair removal results can be considered normal or if there may have been a way to prevent what is happening to me. I have very fair skin and dark hair (ideal for optimal results). I completed my hair removal treatment two years ago (8 treatments using Alexandrite). I felt, at the time, that it was a success and was happy with the results. However, about a year ago, I started to experience re-growth, which has gotten exponentially worse in the last year.

I have known from the get-go, that “permanent” doesn’t really mean forever in the laser hair removal world. That’s fine, I anticipated some upkeep. What concerns me is the rate and thickness at which the hair has re-grown. Had I known that the hair would be twice as thick and grow 3x faster two years down the road, I might not have undergone the treatment.

My doctor has run just about every medical test available to rule out an underlying medical condition such as PCOS or Thyroid Dysfunction, so I know that’s not what is causing my hirsutism. The only other link I can come up with is a medication I used to take. I was treated with Valproic Acid (Depakote) for several years in my twenties (now almost 40), but permanently discontinued the medication well before undergoing laser treatment.

At this point, I am considering a new course of laser treatment, but want to vent out my concerns over the long-term effects of these procedures. I haven’t even started setting up consultations because I feel like I need to be armed with some research going in and, frankly, I am doing some avoidance because I remember how grueling it was to fight off the “hard sell” every time I went for a consultation.

Any thoughts? Do you think a different laser might bring a different result? Could it have been operator error? Or is this a completely normal outcome?