“How many sessions before I see a difference?” This is undoubtedly the most common question people ask before starting IPL treatment. The honest answer: visible results start to appear after the 3rd or 4th session, and it takes between 8 and 12 sessions to achieve truly long-lasting results. Here’s why, along with the complete treatment plan, week by week.
Why a full cycle is necessary
To understand why there’s no such thing as a “miracle” treatment, you need to know one thing: your hair doesn’t all grow at the same time. At any given moment, it’s spread across three phases of the hair growth cycle:
- Anagen: The hair is actively growing and firmly anchored in its follicle. This is the phase in which IPL is most effective.
- Catagen: transition phase, during which hair growth slows down.
- Telogen: resting phase, the hair falls out and the follicle is "dormant." IPL has nothing left to target.
At any given time, only about 20 to 30% of your hair is in the anagen phase. That’s why you need to come back several times: each session treats the “active” hair at that moment, and it takes enough sessions for all the follicles to go through the effective phase.
Keep this in mind. A single session can’t do it all, and that’s not a flaw in the device. It’s just the biology of hair. The secret lies in following the treatment plan correctly: not too far apart, not too close together.
The complete schedule, week by week
Here is the recommended standard treatment plan for at-home IPL hair removal. It spans approximately 12 weeks.
Weeks 1–4 — One session per week
4 sessions spaced 7 days apart. The goal: to "target" as many hairs as possible in the anagen phase and trigger the process throughout the entire follicle.
Weeks 5–12 — One session every two weeks
4 additional sessions, spaced 14 days apart. Hair regrowth is already starting to slow down. This phase targets the follicles that were "dormant" during Phase 1.
After the 12th week
A single session is only needed when a few hairs start to grow back. Generally, 1 to 2 sessions a year are enough to maintain the results.
In total: about 8 sessions during the intensive treatment and maintenance phase, followed by light maintenance. You can, of course, add a few more sessions if regrowth is more stubborn in certain areas, but this is the general plan to follow.
When can I expect to see the first results?
Here's what to expect, step by step:
- After the first session: within 1 to 2 weeks, some of the treated hairs will fall out on their own. This isn’t “regrowth”; it’s the natural shedding of hairs whose follicles have been deactivated.
- After the 3rd or 4th session: that’s when the magic happens. Hair becomes noticeably sparser and finer, and regrowth slows down.
- After the 6th or 8th session: the treated areas remain smooth for several weeks between sessions. Many users report a 70% to 90% reduction in hair growth.
- At the end of the treatment cycle: the skin is smooth, and regrowth is sparse and fine. A few hairs may grow back over the course of several months, which is when maintenance comes into play.
What affects the number of sessions
Not everyone reacts the same way. Several factors influence how quickly you’ll see results.
The contrast between fur and skin
Dark hair on fair to medium skin: quick results, sometimes as early as the third session. Lighter hair or darker skin: more sessions may be needed.
The treated area
The underarms and bikini line often respond quickly (since the hair is deeply rooted). The legs and arms sometimes require a little more patience. Facial hair is the most stubborn.
Consistency
Skipping a session or spacing out your workouts too much allows your follicles to "reset." Consistency matters far more than intensity.
Hormones
Hormone-related hair growth (on the face, stomach, after pregnancy, or due to certain medical conditions) is naturally more stubborn. You should expect to need a few additional sessions.
What's next? The interview phase
Good news: once you've completed the full cycle, you won't have to do 8 sessions in a row anymore. The maintenance is very minimal.
In practical terms, as soon as a few hairs start to grow back in a certain area—often after several months—you simply do 1 or 2 spot treatments. And that’s it. A device like the LOOP is designed to deliver 500,000 flashes, which is more than enough to last a decade at that rate.
Start your routine at home
The Solippy LOOP is designed to follow this exact protocol: a full-body workout in 20 minutes, 5 intensity levels, 500,000 flashes (enough for over 10 years of use). Comes with a 2-year warranty and a 100-day money-back guarantee.
Learn more about LOOP →3 Mistakes That Cause You to Miss Workouts
- Spacing out your sessions too much during the initial phase. If you go from “once a week” to “once a month” right from the start, you’ll miss the window when the follicles are in the anagen phase. Stick with it for the first 4 weeks.
- Remove hair between sessions. Wax, tweezers, electric epilator: all of these remove the hair follicle, so the laser has nothing to target the next time. Between sessions, just shave—that’s it.
- Quitting before the fourth session. That’s exactly when you start to see results. Quitting before then means quitting too soon.
IPL hair removal isn't instant, but the results really do last. Twelve weeks for smooth skin is a small price to pay for years without daily waxing or shaving. To get off to a good start, be sure to read our article on how to prepare your skin before each session.