What is the best laser/IPL solution for thick pubic hair that I don't want to remove permanently?

Hello and thank you for your question!
In our office we use the Cutera Coolglide for laser hair removal. This inclusive laser system uses an innovative cooling design to allow for the safe and effective removal of hair from all parts of the body and works for men and women of all skin tones.  As the name implies, the CoolGlide laser hair removal handpiece cools and soothes as it glides along the skin, which allows for a more comfortable experience.

This laser only targets hair in their active growth cycle, and at any given time only a small percentage of your hair follicles are in this phase. Typically for complete hair removal we recommend an average of 6 treatments spaced 4-6 weeks apart. Therefore, if you are seeking to reduce the amount of hair in an area without completely removing it, you could choose to only have a few treatments, and wait in between treatments to see if you are satisfied with remaining amount of hair. In addition, hair that grows back is usually less dense than it originally was, due to the reduction in hair follicles.

If this is something you would be interested in, I suggest researching trained professionals in your area and to set up a consultation to determine if you would be a good fit.

Hope this helps!

Thank you for your question. Any laser hair removal treatment has the ultimate goal of damaging the follicle resulting in permanent hair loss. However, you need multiple treatments spaced 6-8 weeks apart to ensure the hair is in the proper stage of growth for the treatment. I would recommend getting fewer treatments that needed and using lower settings to ensure you keep some hair in tact. Best of luck. Dhaval Patel MDDouble Board CertifiedPlastic SurgeonHoffman EstatesOakbrookOrland ParkChicago 

IPL treatments are a good options. Although, diode, alexandrite and yag lasers work best. It will take a series of treatments to get improvement hence if you wouldn't like a full removal, you could simply do less sessions. Please see an expert for an evaluation. Best, Dr. Emer.

Laser hair removal only works on actively growing hair. Only about 15- 20% of your hair is actively growing at any specific time. If you want to "soften and thin out the hair" simply have 2 or 3 IPL treatments (instead of standard 6-8) each 4-6 weeks apart. This would remove about a third of your hair and make them fine.

Laser hair removal only works on actively growing hair. Only about 20% of your hair is actively growing at any specific time. If you want to "soften and thin out the hair" simply have 2 or 3 IPL treatments (instead of standard 6-8) each 4-6 weeks apart. This would remove about a third of your hair.

The ultimate goal of laser hair removal is permanent hair reduction. In an area such as the bikini area, this should be achievable as the hormones that influenced the growth of this hair ceased at puberty. For a patient who wished to permanently remove the hair in this area, it is recommended that he or she have a treatment about once a month for eight months. After every treatment patient can expect a period of no hair growth for about 4-6 weeks and then when the hair returns it will be thinner and finer after every treatment.
If  a patient is interested in only reducing the bulk of hair to make shaving easier, a potential treatment plan would be only have three to five treatments of the area. Most laser providers have single treatment plans for patients who do not wish to treat the area fully.
BBL is terrific tool for hair reduction. I find it to be very reliable and more comfortable to patients than some of the older methods of laser hair reduction.