Many individuals struggle with unwanted hair growth. The good news is that laser hair removal treatments may help decrease it.
Laser treatments use targeted light beams to selectively attack and destroy actively growing hair follicles. Since hair grows in cycles, multiple sessions may be necessary in order to completely rid yourself of all active follicles.
Laser treatments offer another great advantage over depilatory methods like shaving, waxing and plucking: no depilation needed! Dark and thick hair respond best to laser treatments due to high concentrations of melanin pigmentation.
Dark Hair
Recently, when it came to hair removal techniques for women with dark skin and dark hair, many were excluded from beauty options available to them. Although at-home waxing kits and electrolysis devices were widely available for these treatments, laser hair removal wasn’t widely offered due to early lasers not being able to differentiate between darker skin tones and hair colours, meaning they weren’t safe for dark-skinned patients who could experience hyperpigmentation, scarring, and blistering from treatment.
Now, thanks to technological advancement and greater focus on inclusivity, laser hair removal treatments for individuals with darker hair and skin tones are more accessible than ever. According to Shereene Idriss MD of Idriss Dermatology’s Lumenis VBeam laser which works effectively on all skin tones including very dark ones is currently the ideal option.
“VBeam laser treatments are safe for black, Hispanic, and Asian skin because it only targets melanin pigment in hair follicles,” according to her. This allows it to effectively treat all hair colors; though its most beneficial results have been seen with darker locks.
Note that those most suitable for laser hair removal treatments are those with thick, dark and coarse follicles and light skin. As the laser energy penetrates each follicle it reaches its bulb and bulge to destroy any remaining melanin that gives hair its color,” according to Idriss. “Unfortunately this process doesn’t work with blonde or red hair due to having insufficient melanin.”
Idriss suggests that individuals with very dark or regularly tanned skin may not be suitable candidates for laser hair removal as these people typically possess more eumelanin in the epidermis which absorbs more of its energy from laser light sources than other skin types. She adds that longer pulse duration lasers such as Nd:YAG are appropriate solutions as it can penetrate deep into dermis without impacting epidermis layers.
Idriss advises her clients to undergo six to eight treatments over a few months for optimal results, which will bring about an appreciable reduction in hair growth but won’t stop completely; follow-up treatments will be required to maintain results.
Light Skin
Laser hair removal is an increasingly popular cosmetic procedure, using focused beams of light to target and destroy unwanted hair follicles. Light energy absorbs by the pigment in hair shafts, heating them up until their temperatures rise enough for them to eventually die off – effectively ending future hair growth for smooth, beautiful skin! However, many patients want to know whether laser treatments will work on their specific skin tone before beginning therapy.
Yes, but your results will depend on your individual skin and hair color combination. Laser light energy passes through the outer layer of skin until it hits melanin in hair follicles; this makes laser treatments so effective; any hair follicle with high concentration of melanin will absorb this light energy, damaging and heating them as it penetrates, ultimately stopping hair growth. As time progresses and you undergo multiple laser treatments, permanent hair reduction becomes possible.
Dark hair tends to respond better to laser treatment than lighter locks; its higher concentration of melanin makes it more vulnerable to damage caused by laser light treatment. However, with advances in laser technology we can treat even darker locks successfully.
Apart from pigmentation, density also plays a part in how well patients respond to laser hair removal treatments. This involves both length and width of the shafts of hair follicles; fine vellus hairs do not respond as favorably while thick coarse terminal hairs often do. Laser energy can more readily target pigment-rich follicles than it could on fine vellus ones.
Before beginning laser hair removal treatments, it is crucial that the area be shaved so the laser light can effectively target hair follicles. Furthermore, sun exposure and self-tanners should be avoided prior to treatment as this could obstruct its ability to target individual follicles. Finally, plucking or waxing in treated areas could significantly set back treatment progress.
Coarse or Thick Hair
Laser light flashes attract dark pigments like the hair follicles, so thick or coarse hair tends to respond better. Light may not penetrate deep enough into thin or fine locks to hit their target follicle and destroy it; thick or coarse locks, however, tend to do quite well with laser treatments.
Laser treatments offer a long-term solution to hair removal; unlike waxing or shaving which requires repeat visits to maintain results, laser treatments work by permanently decreasing the number of follicles producing hair. People suffering from medical conditions that increase excessive hair growth like polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) often find laser treatments are the ideal way to address their unwanted locks.
Your number of laser hair removal sessions depends on several factors, including your hair color and skin tone as well as the area you’re treating. Your underarms may regrowth faster due to lighter and finer hair in this region of your body.
In general, six to eight laser hair removal sessions should provide optimal results. Following that, you may require quarterly or semi-annual maintenance sessions to keep the anagen phase active and prevent hair follicles from transitioning into catagen or telogen phases.
Before beginning laser treatments, it’s essential that you are completely untanned as laser light attracts to any additional pigment in the skin and could result in discoloration. In addition, it is wise to limit sun exposure prior to treatments as this could increase hair follicle activity and lower its effectiveness.
Medications
Laser hair removal is an efficient, safe way to address unwanted facial or body hair growth. It saves both time and energy that would have otherwise been spent shaving, tweezing or waxing; making this procedure one of the most sought-after cosmetic treatments that can be completed in under an hour with permanent results that reduce future hair growth.
Medication may interfere with how your body responds to laser hair removal treatments. Because lasers work by targeting pigments found in hair, medications may decrease their effectiveness by increasing your skin sensitivity to light or blocking receptors that absorb energy from laser treatments. Therefore, it is important that any medications being taken are disclosed prior to seeking laser hair removal treatments.
Before receiving laser hair-removal treatments, it is wise to refrain from tanning, sun exposure and other methods that might further thicken hair follicles; your physician can advise on any additional precautions that need to be taken prior to and following treatment.
Your physician will first trim away unwanted hair before applying a cooling gel to protect your skin. Next, the laser will pass over the area of unwanted hair in order to disable its source and stop future growth of more follicles – the treatment should be painless and completed quickly in smaller areas like upper lips whereas larger parts require longer for completion.
Your individual results depend on multiple factors; our doctor can give an accurate estimation during a free consultation at Xanadu Med Spa. On average, people typically need six to eight treatments spaced out four to eight weeks apart.
