Peach fuzz after laser hair removal? What is happening? (photo)

Question

I’ve had a hair problem my whole life (thick and course). I got a round of laser hair treatments before and it was great. 3 years later it’s regrowing, so I started another round of laser with another office. This time it seems like there is white peach fuzz growing absolutely EVERYWHERE on my face. Spent a lot of time in front of magnifying mirrors throughout my life so if this was here before I would’ve noticed. What happened to me?!

Laura Riehm, MD · Answer

Thanks for your question and posting a picture.  What you are seeing is absolutely normal.  LHR only works on hair that has pigment.  It's not surprising that you have blonde peach fuzz remaining.  Lasers cannot see this fine hair that lacks pigment.  I can assure you that your peach fuzz was already there or its just a part of the aging process.  Everybody has some!  The paradoxical hair growth mentioned would more than likely be dark and course.Pull up high definition pictures of any swimsuit model with a perfect body.  Zoom in really close and you can see the peach fuzz on her abs or face.  Social media has everyone in search of perfect.  There is no such thing.  Everybody has scars/bumps/hurts inside and out.  Embrace the person you are.  Best of luck.P.S.  If this still really bothers you, consider Dermaplaning.

Laura A. Katz, MD · Answer

Hello there!  First of all, I want to reassure you that your laser hair removal sessions did not cause your peach fuzz.  Most women begin noticing a certain amount of peach fuzz type hair as we age.  It is a normal process.  Laser hair removal is only able to target hair with pigment.  Otherwise that hair cannot be "seen " by the laser.  More than likely, your pigmented hair has been removed and therefore the peachfuzz that you may have already had to an extent seems more obvious.  Here is some more information.

Kia Shakib, MD · Answer

Hi 
Thank you for your question. This is possible paradoxical hypertrichosis (increase in hair density). This can be adverse effect of laser hair removal, it can happen on face and neck and individual with darker skin types. Usually the treatment involves laser hair removal of the effected area with the appropriate laser energy setting - using suboptimal laser energy maybe a triggering factor as well. 
Wish you the best. 
Dr. Kia

Peach fuzz after laser hair removal? What is happening? (photo)

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Peach fuzz after laser hair removal? What is happening? (photo)

Answers (3)

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Everything you need to know about Laser Hair Removal

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.