Hair follicles grow in repeated cycles. One cycle can be broken down into three phases.
Anagen – The growing, or the ‘on’ phase. During the anagen phase, hair cells grow rapidly, producing the hair shaft from the follicle, which itself grows deeper into the skin.
Catagen - Transitional phase. The catagen phase only lasts for one to two weeks. It is the transitional or regressive phase. Essentially, it is when the hair stops growing. During this period, the hair follicle shrinks and part of it starts to die.
Telogen - The final resting stage, or ‘off’ phase.
Hair Removal
For the purposes of hair removal the ideal treatment time is during the anagen phase. During this phase the melanin production is most active which is the chromophore leading lasers target. The gold standard in hair removal (Candela GentleLASE ) is arguably the laser of choice. With a patented DCD cooling device results are achieved with minimal discomfort.