What is the safe minimum time between laser hair removal treatments?

Thank you for your question in regards to laser hair removal. Our hair grows in different phases which is why a series of laser treatments are required for reduction, with additional treatments for maintenance. Additional treatments prior to the recommended time frame of the next appointment will not benefit you since those hair follicles were already treated. To be sure what is best for you, see two or more board-certified providers in your area for a complete evaluation to make sure you are a good candidate and that it is safe for you to have treatment. I hope this helps.

I typically have patients do laser hair removal every 4 weeks for the first 3 times and then every 4-6 weeks for 3 times after. This schedule gives great results with hair removal. Some patients do require treatments, every 3-12 months, to maintain results. I recommend getting a formal evaluation with a laser hair removal expert. Best, Dr. Emer

Thank you for your question. I recommend patients wait at least 4 weeks between laser hair reduction treatments. This time frame provides the best results and the safest practice. If you're concerned about the laser treatment you recently had done, I suggest speaking with your provider. Did they use a different laser? Is there a reason they might have turned the laser down? Have you burned in the past? These are all things that they take into consideration when selecting laser settings. 
Best, Dr. McCune

This is a great question that probably doesn't get discussed often enough. As you stated, the ideal time between laser hair removal treatments is 4-6 weeks. In my experience, if patients proceed with laser hair removal treatments less than 3 weeks apart then they may not experience their desired results. 
Some hair growing back quickly following your most recent treatment could be due to the hair in the target area being in different parts of the growth cycle. It is also possible that the laser was set to lower settings as you suggest. Unfortunately, the only way to answer this is to discuss the situation with the most recent physician as well as the physician who completed your first two treatments to find out if they each used similar settings during your treatment sessions. 
Specific needs differ from patient to patient but my recommendation is to wait at least 3 weeks between each treatment. I hope this helps, best of luck!

With regards to treatments after a recent treatment being safe I would wait at least a week or two so any inflammation can decrease prior to doing another session, especially if you are prone to Post Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation. I would speak to your provider regarding your concerns so that the laser settings can be adjusted accordingly.

Hi and great questions.  Several comments on this:  First of all, it is generally accepted in the laser community that treatments are done about 6 weeks apart, for safety and for efficacy (best result).  We used to spread them out much farther (depending on the telogen, or "sleep" stage of the hair and depending on the different body parts) but more recent published scientific studies have proven that in the hair of mammals, especially humans, there is enough active pigment in those stages to shorten the treatment time.  I would also say that just because some hair is growing back fast doesn't necessarily mean that you didn't get a good treatment (but it could be a sign of under treatment).  Sometimes even with a very strong treatment with the right laser and practitioner, hairs in different stages during treatment will show visible growth within days after treatment and this visible growth can vary in time with each treatment.  I would discuss this with your provider and see what they say.  In my practice i do have two practitioners that do all of our laser hair removal (very highly trained personally by me, and i see every patient) but I never let them "switch up patients", in other words, once one of them starts a patient, they finish the series themselves.  This way, a single practitioner can learn your skin and tolerance and advance treatments stronger and stronger every time.  This is not a "law" but what i believe is best practice.  You should not have a different person doing your treatment each time and if that happened, then it could lead to an "under" treatment or and "over" treatment (burn) due to lack of consistency.  Hope this helps you!