How many laser hair removal sessions do you need? For most people the answer is about 8, spaced 4–6 weeks apart on the face and 6–8 weeks apart on the body. A good candidate who completes that course can expect about 85–90% less hair on the treated zone. The exact number depends on your skin type, your hair and the zone, so this guide explains each factor. Our laser hair removal Montreal page covers zones, packages and booking. This guide is the full start-to-finish walkthrough. It starts with where you sit on the Fitzpatrick scale and why that decides your laser. Then it covers how to prepare, what happens minute by minute in the treatment room, aftercare, session counts zone by zone, what results look like at each stage, and the few cases, such as grey hair, where laser is the wrong tool. Everything here applies equally to our Plateau clinic in Montréal and our clinic in Laval. Both run the same three lasers and the same protocol.

“The laser does the work. The plan decides how well it works.” The IPLLAB treatment philosophy

What this article covers

What happens before your first session?

Every course at IPLLAB starts with a free consultation. No laser touches a full zone until we have seen your skin, your hair and a test spot. This step protects you from burns and from paying for a course that was never going to work. It takes about 20–30 minutes and covers four things.

Where do you sit on the Fitzpatrick scale, and why does it matter?

The Fitzpatrick scale is a six-step classification of skin by how it reacts to sun: how easily it burns and how readily it tans. Dermatologists developed it to predict UV response. In laser hair removal it does a second job. It tells us how much melanin sits in your epidermis, the outer layer of skin, and that melanin competes with the pigment in your hair for the laser’s energy.

How does laser hair removal work? Through selective photothermolysis. Light is absorbed by the melanin in the hair shaft, turns into heat, and disables the follicle. The ideal target is dark hair in light skin, where nearly all the energy lands in the hair. The deeper the skin tone, the more energy the surface absorbs, so the wavelength has to change to keep the skin safe. Your Fitzpatrick type is the starting point for that choice.

Two practical notes. First, a tan temporarily moves you up the scale. Fair skin with a deep August tan behaves like a type IV for a few weeks, so we either adjust the laser or wait. Second, the scale describes your skin, not your hair. A type II client with blond hair and a type V client with black hair are very different cases, and the second is often the easier one, provided the right wavelength is used. Laser hair removal on dark skin is safe and effective when it is done with Nd:YAG. Problems happen when a clinic uses a wavelength or an IPL device built for lighter skin.

Which technology will treat your skin: Alexandrite, Diode or Nd:YAG?

No single wavelength is right for every skin, so we run three. Your consultation decides which one, the patch test confirms it, and the choice can change by zone or by season.

You may also see IPL (intense pulsed light) advertised for hair. We don’t use it for hair. A true laser’s single wavelength is more precise and safer on darker skin. Our guide to IPL vs laser hair removal explains the difference, and our overview of the latest laser hair removal technology covers what changed in 2026 platforms.

How should you prepare for a laser session?

Preparation is simple, but it matters. Most disappointing sessions trace back to one of the points below. The rule behind all of them: the hair root has to be in the follicle, and the hair above the skin has to be gone.

What to expect during a laser hair removal session

Most people are surprised by how quick and ordinary a session feels. Here is the sequence from arrival to checkout.

How long you are on the table depends almost entirely on the zone. These are typical treatment times, not counting check-in:

What should you do, and avoid, after each session?

Treated skin usually looks a little pink, with small raised bumps around the follicles. That is the expected sign the heat reached its target, and it typically settles within a few hours to two days. Aftercare is about letting that happen calmly and keeping the sun off the area.

How many laser hair removal sessions do you need, zone by zone?

The laser can only disable follicles in their active growth phase (anagen). At any moment only part of your hair is in that phase, while the rest is resting or shedding. Each session catches a new group, which is why a course is a series rather than a single visit, and why the spacing matters as much as the number.

Here is how the count typically breaks down by zone for a good candidate with dark hair. Your own plan is set at consultation.

Coming in too early doesn’t speed things up. It just treats follicles that have nothing to treat. Leaving long gaps lets a growth cycle slip past. The most reliable results come from keeping to the interval your technician sets.

What results to expect from laser hair removal, and when

This is the part people care about most, so here are real numbers. Laser hair removal is permanent hair reduction: follicles that are properly disabled don’t come back. The American Academy of Dermatology describes roughly a 10–25% reduction after the first session, building over the course. For a good candidate with dark hair who completes the full 8 sessions on schedule, 85–90% less hair on the treated zone is a realistic target. The hair that remains usually grows back finer, lighter and much more slowly, to the point where most clients stop shaving that zone altogether.

For the longer version of “how long does it last”, including why “permanent reduction” isn’t the same as “permanent removal”, see is laser hair removal permanent?

When doesn’t laser work? Grey hair and other rare cases

Laser hair removal works for the large majority of people who come to us. The exceptions are few and predictable, and we screen for all of them at the consultation.

What happens after your last session?

Finishing the eighth session is not quite the finish line. The last group of treated hairs sheds over the following weeks, and the true result shows about two to three months after your final session. That is when it makes sense to look at the zone with your technician.

What does a full 8-session course cost per zone?

Every package below is a complete 8-session course on whichever laser suits your skin, Alexandrite, Diode or Nd:YAG, chosen at your free consultation. Prices are current as of this review, and each card links to its own package page.

Every zone, including face, chest, back, abdomen, nose and ears, is in our hair removal package category. Men’s zones and plans have their own page: laser hair removal for men.

What makes laser hair removal at IPLLAB different?

Quick answers to the questions we hear most

Sources: American Academy of Dermatology — Laser hair removal FAQs · DermNet — Skin phototype (Fitzpatrick classification) · CBC News — Dermatologists on Canada’s unregulated laser industry

Medical disclaimer: this article is for general information only and is not a substitute for a professional consultation. Suitability for laser treatment, settings, number of sessions and expected results depend on your individual skin, hair and health history. Results vary and are not guaranteed. Always confirm your plan with a qualified provider.