Laser hair removal is an increasingly popular procedure used to permanently reduce unwanted hair growth. The intense beams of light emitted by a laser device target pigment in hair follicles, damaging them and inhibiting future growth.
Laser hair removal has quickly become one of the most sought-after treatments available today, yet before this breakthrough was possible it had to undergo significant technological development. Here’s more information on its history!
Theodore H Maiman’s Ruby Laser
Laser hair removal has quickly become an essential beauty ritual, yet its development was far from easy. One significant development in this field was Theodore H Maiman’s invention of the Ruby Laser as this marked a turning point in this field.
Before the ruby laser was invented in 1960, permanent hair removal consisted of electrolysis which was painful and time-consuming, working only on individual hairs at a time and only producing results on one at a time. But with its development came something revolutionary – being able to permanently destroy hair follicles without harming surrounding tissue meant more hairs could be destroyed every treatment and many could achieve 95% permanent reduction within just one session!
Theodore H Maiman was an exceptional scientist. A graduate of University of Colorado Boulder with a Bachelor’s in engineering physics, he served in World War II before continuing his studies at Stanford where he earned both an M.S and PhD degree in electrical engineering and physics. When Hughes Aircraft Company refused him permission to develop laser technology on company property, Maiman threatened to quit and do his research himself instead, which eventually included taking over nine months and $50,000 worth of equipment from him for further development of laser research in his garage.
His prototype laser, constructed out of silver-coated ruby, was revolutionary. It worked by selectively heating dark target material (melanin) to destroy hair follicles without harming surrounding skin – a technique now widely used to treat tattoos, birthmarks, pigmented lesions, and other conditions. More recently R Rox Anderson and Melanie Grossman discovered a way to destroy basal stem cells inside hair follicles using this same principle; simply matching wavelength to chromophore wavelength to make treatments even faster and more effective and quicker treatments possible than before!
Dr. Richard Rox Anderson’s Specific Laser Hair Removal Technique
Laser hair removal is a non-invasive, laser technology-based procedure that uses light waves to target and destroy melanin within hair follicles, permanently disabling them and thus stopping future hair growth. It is safe, reliable and available for people of all skin colors – thus offering permanent hair reduction solutions.
Theodore H Maiman created the first laser designed specifically to destroy hair follicles in 1960; his ruby laser could minimally reduce hair growth but was tedious, ineffective, and often resulted in severe burns for patients. Ten years later came along alexandrite laser, which proved safer yet still couldn’t reach high enough temperatures to kill basal stem cells in hair follicles to provide permanent results even after multiple treatment sessions.
In 1980, Harvard Medical School student Dr. Richard Rox Anderson and his team began testing a pulsed dye laser they had designed specifically to treat port wine stains (PWS). This marked the birth of selective photothermolysis technology – later used for treating tattoo removal, pigmented lesions, and birthmarks among many other ailments.
After his work with PWS, Anderson set about devising a laser device capable of selectively dissolving melanin from hair follicles without harming surrounding tissues. He finally succeeded in 1996 and the FDA later approved this tactic of laser hair removal for permanent hair reduction.
Laser hair removal procedures have evolved greatly over time and research, reaching their current state with success rates of 95% for most patients and the ability to treat both tanned skin and darker hair tones.
Laser hair removal has experienced explosive growth over the last decade; however, some doctors consider this procedure experimental due to it not being fully safe or effective for everyone. Still, this method remains one of the most popular solutions for men and women to achieve long-term hair reduction; laser zapping works by targeting hair follicles with high frequency light waves to inhibit future hair growth.
The COVID-19 Pandemic
Laser hair removal has quickly become one of the most sought-after beauty treatments. This noninvasive procedure uses highly concentrated light waves to penetrate skin layers and destroy hair follicles, thus halting future growth. Though generally safe for most users, expert administration is still recommended as modern lasers offer many small yet significant advancements that enhance patient experience such as cooling systems and the capability of targeting darker skin tones.
Early lasers targeted individual hair follicles using a fiber-optic probe. While these lasers were difficult to use and could potentially damage surrounding skin and cause burns, they did not produce enough heat to destroy permanently the follicle, meaning hair growth continued albeit at a reduced pace. A significant breakthrough came in 1960 when Theodor H Maiman created a ruby laser, providing much more precise targeting of melanin pigment in hair follicles while simultaneously producing less pain and skin damage around follicles compared with early lasers.
Harvard dermatologist Thomas Fitzpatrick made lasers more efficient with his invention of the skin color scale, enabling doctors to more quickly identify those suitable candidates for laser hair removal (early lasers were ineffective against darker hair and skin tones due to melanin pigment absorbing its light energy).
By the 1980s, scientists had developed a laser capable of providing permanent results through years of experimentation and research. After multiple trials were complete to perfect it, scientists produced the Splendor X laser with its combination of Nd:YAG and Alexandrite wavelengths – this allowed it to safely treat darker hair types while producing excellent laser hair removal results.
Laser hair removal has become widely available, both at clinics and medical spas as well as home devices that users trust. Thanks to advances in technology that make laser hair removal more efficient and safer – with better melanin targeting. There are also cooling systems that reduce risks of burning while speeding up treatments – making this treatment much more accessible as an efficient means to eliminate unwanted body hair.
The Laser Hair Removal Industry
Laser hair removal has quickly grown increasingly popular over time. This can be attributed to increased safety and effectiveness as well as rising demand for aesthetic beauty treatments, though acceptance took time due to early cosmetic lasers sometimes producing side effects like second and third degree burns, hyperpigmentation scarring or other adverse health outcomes.
Early lasers emitted continuous waves of light that were ineffective at hair removal as they also damaged nearby tissues. With the introduction of Q-switches similar to camera shutters that allowed beam emission at timed intervals (similar to camera shutters), laser hair removal became practical; more accurate devices targeted individual follicles through fiberoptic probes with pinpoint precision while being less costly than electrolysis treatments.
COVID-19 pandemic contributed to laser hair removal’s surge, as people sought out non-contact beauty treatments without direct human interaction. China and India’s robust economies also helped drive its rapid expansion; people there possess higher per capita incomes that they’re willing to spend on aesthetic beauty treatments.
Standing out from the competition in laser hair removal requires a firm commitment to exceeding client expectations and training and practice to deliver optimal results, which is why many clinics offer ongoing packages and memberships.
However, those interested in opening their own laser hair removal business should recognize that operating such an enterprise does not come without costs. Not only is the initial purchase expensive; ongoing maintenance and repair expenses also need to be factored into your overhead expenses. Furthermore, operating lasers requires special training and certification – potential new hires must pass this exam before they can join your staff.
