Why Summer 2026 Is the Best Time to Start Laser Hair Removal

Every summer, the same question arrives at the reception desk: "Should I wait until it's cooler to start laser?" As a therapist, my answer is almost always the opposite of what people expect. Approached correctly, summer isn't a reason to delay laser hair removal — it's one of the most strategically useful times of year to begin. Here's the reasoning, grounded in how hair actually grows and what the clinical evidence says, along with the one caveat that matters more than any other.

The Hair Growth Cycle — Why Timing Matters at All

Laser hair removal doesn't work on hair the way people assume. The laser targets melanin in the hair shaft and follicle, and it can only permanently disable a follicle that is in its active growth phase, known as anagen. Hair also cycles through a transitional phase (catagen) and a resting phase (telogen), during which the follicle is essentially invisible to the laser.¹ At any given time, only a portion of the hairs in a treatment area are in anagen — which is precisely why a single session was never going to be enough, and why a course of 6–8 sessions spaced 4–6 weeks apart is the clinical standard: each appointment catches a fresh wave of follicles as they cycle into their growth phase.

A Seasonal Rhythm to Hair Growth

What's less well known outside dermatology circles is that this cycle isn't constant throughout the year. Research into human hair growth has documented seasonal variation in the proportion of follicles in anagen versus telogen, with growth activity in many body areas tending to rise through the warmer months.² Practically, that means a course started in summer can, for many clients, be working with a higher proportion of actively growing follicles from the outset — which is exactly the biological window laser treatment is designed to exploit.

The Practical Case: Timing Your Course, Not Just Your Skin

Biology aside, there's a simpler, more practical argument I make to clients every week. A full course of 6–8 sessions, spaced a month to six weeks apart, takes roughly six to nine months from first appointment to last. Start in July or August, and you're realistically finished by early spring 2027 — meaning next summer, you're not booking your first patch test, you're simply enjoying the result. Start in January instead, and you're competing with every other client who had the same New Year's resolution, often booking into a fully subscribed clinic calendar.

As a therapist, the regret I hear far more often than "I started too early" is "I wish I'd started sooner." Hair removal is one of the few treatments where time itself is a core ingredient of the result.

The Caveat That Matters More Than Any of This

None of the above changes the single rule that governs safe laser treatment: the laser distinguishes hair from skin by contrast in melanin, so a tan — whether from the sun, a sunbed, or self-tanning products — significantly increases the risk of burns and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, particularly for clients with medium to deeper skin tones.³ This is exactly why professional bodies are consistent and firm on sun protection before and after every session, not just in summer.^4,5

How to do it properly this summer

• Apply SPF 50 to treatment areas daily, tan or no tan, for the duration of your course
• Avoid direct sun exposure and sunbeds on treatment areas for at least 2 weeks before and after each session
• Skip self-tanner on treatment areas entirely until your course is complete
• If you have a beach holiday planned, tell your practitioner — sessions are easy to schedule around it

This is also exactly why every course at Sorellina Clinic begins with a free patch test rather than jumping straight into treatment. It's the appointment where we assess your Fitzpatrick skin type, current sun exposure and hair characteristics, and calibrate the laser settings to your skin specifically — not a generic setting applied to everyone in the room.³

The Bottom Line

Summer isn't the enemy of laser hair removal — sun exposure on unprotected, unassessed skin is. Separate the two, and starting your course now means more actively growing follicles for the laser to target, a finish line well ahead of next summer, and no scramble through a fully booked January. The only thing it asks of you in return is consistent SPF and a little planning around your holidays.

If you're considering starting, the most useful next step isn't booking a full course — it's booking the free patch test, where we can tell you honestly whether now is the right time for your specific skin.