During which phase of the hair growth cycle is laser hair removal most effective?

Laser hair removal is most effective during the anagen phase, which is the active growth stage of the hair growth cycle. During this phase, the hair follicles are firmly anchored in the skin, and the hair is actively growing. This is significant because the laser targets the pigment found in hair; thus, when the hair is in the anagen phase, it contains the most melanin, making it more susceptible to the laser's energy.

The laser's energy is absorbed by the melanin, which allows it to effectively destroy the hair follicle without damaging the surrounding skin. This destruction of the follicle prevents future hair growth, making treatments in this phase more successful. The effectiveness diminishes in other phases because, in the catagen phase, hair is transitioning and detaching from the follicle, while in the telogen phase, the hair is resting and not anchored to the follicle, and in the exogen phase, the hair is falling out. Thus, targeting the hairs during the anagen phase enhances the chances of permanently reducing hair growth.