Does Laser Hair Removal Make You Sweat Less (Or More)?

People often associate more hair with increased sweating and therefore wonder…

…does laser hair removal make you sweat less after treatment? Mind you there are also some people who claim they sweat more after laser hair removal too.

Which is correct?

When done properly laser hair removal won’t affect how much you sweat either way but having less hair can reduce body odor. The bacteria that causes the sweat smell attaches to hair which strengthens the odor so the less hair you have potentially decreases the smell.

Does laser hair removal make you sweat less?

No, laser hair removal will not make you sweat less but having less body hair can reduce the odor.

Studies like this one from Proctor & Gamble have shown that reduced underarm hair can not only reduce the sweat smell but also increase the effectiveness of cleaning (ie. bathing and showering) underarms when they are hair free. The study showed that shaving the underarms immediately increased the effectiveness of washing the area with soap.

The less hair you have in the underarm area, the more effective soap washing is to remove odor. So while not having underarm won’t reduce your sweating, it can help to reduce the odor.

There is also a feeling of being cleaner when you sweat and don’t have it clinging to the hair on your body.

Can laser hair removal make you sweat more?

When performed correctly, laser hair removal should not increase the amount that you sweat. Laser hair removal should have no effect on sweat glands one way or the other on the parts of the body you have treated.

While I have read anecdotal comments online of people in rare cases suggesting that they noticed more sweating after laser hair removal in their underarm area, this is not common or expected.

Several medical doctors responded to the claims suggesting that the sweat glands may have been overstimulated during laser treatment but reiterated that the results are not normal. They also suggested in any case that excessive sweating is treatable.

It’s also possible that with less body hair to cling onto, the sweat was more noticeable and gave people the appearance that they were sweating more when in fact they weren’t.

Less body odor with less body hair

As mentioned above, having less body hair may reduce the body odor you experience. People mistakenly believe that sweat smells but in fact it does not. Perspiration in and of itself has virtually no smell but bacteria that lives on your skin mixes with sweat and that causes the smell.

The hair on your body allows sweat to attach to it which gives it a host. And because hair is porous, it absorbs the odor which helps to hold its scent. When we are clean shaven and have little to no hair, it tends to make us feel dryer and assume we are sweating less. This may lead credence to the idea that laser hair removal simply makes us feel like we are sweating more frequently when the hair is no longer there for sweat to attach to.

Men have a particular bacteria that is more prevalent in them than in women that makes males sweat tend to smell more pronounced. Men also tend to sweat more than women, too.

Two hidden benefits of laser hair removal

While there are a number of obvious benefits of laser hair removal including the reduced odor factor, there are a few others you might be interested to learn about.

You look more muscular

When you have a fit, athletic build you tend to look more muscular with no body hair. That’s why bodybuilders and pro wrestlers shave their chests and go hair free when performing. It’s considered a better look.

No chest or body hair also tends to show more body symmetry too, if you’re into that.

Less ingrown hairs

Shaving and waxing tend to increase the chance of ingrown hairs for many men. You may in fact even experience some whiteheads on your body for several days after laser hair removal but it tends to pass quickly.

Long term though, laser hair removal reduces the total amount of hair you have and thus reduces the chance you suffer from ingrown hairs since there is less hair to be a concern.