A concentrated light beam is applied directly to the skin in order to break up melanin in hair follicles, thus inhibiting future hair growth. This technique has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
In the 1960s, laser hair removal methods were first developed but failed to achieve permanent results. Later that decade, however, the FDA approved an alexandrite laser which eventually achieved success with permanent results.
The History of Laser Hair Removal
Laser hair removal has been around for nearly two decades, but it wasn’t always as reliable, long-term treatment it is today. Scientists needed nearly four decades to create a laser that could effectively remove hair from skin surfaces.
The story of lasers and hair removal begins with Theodore Maiman, one of the founding fathers of modern electro-optics. His invention of the maser, which produced short wavelength light, provided ample opportunity for further research and development in other fields. In the 1960s he started developing devices using laser beams to treat ingrown eyelashes and other cosmetic issues; unfortunately these early laser devices did not prove effective against unwanted hair as they caused extensive skin damage as well as damaging hair follicles targeted for treatment.
By the 1970s, new laser variants had emerged that provided hair reduction but not permanent hair loss. This development can be partially credited to Harvard dermatologist Thomas Fitzpatrick’s introduction of his Fitzpatrick skin color scale as it helped identify patients suited for laser treatments and those not eligible. Unfortunately, early lasers weren’t effective because they didn’t emit sufficient wavelengths of light to effectively damage hair follicles and stop future growth.
Scientists took another decade before they had discovered the ideal wavelength and pulse duration to target hair follicles without harming the skin beneath. This technique, called selective photothermolysis, marked the start of laser hair removal as a safe, permanent, and effective option against unwanted hair growth. Today it is widely used treatment offered at Nao Medical and produces permanent results in less sessions than other methods such as plucking, waxing or electrolysis.
The First Laser
Nowadays, laser hair removal has become a widely sought-after cosmetic procedure that is safe, virtually painless, and permanently effective. It has proven popular with both men and women and less painful and more convenient than electrolysis treatments. Little known fact: laser hair removal was initially conceptualized by two 20th-century physicists; one being Theodore Maiman himself who created the laser device!
Years were needed to develop technology capable of effectively damaging melanin in hair follicles and stopping future growth, without damaging skin in the process. We now refer to this discovery as selective photothermolysis.
In the 1960s, early lasers produced by researchers were too dangerous for use on skin as their constant beam of light could burn tissue or lead to hypo- or hyperpigmentation. To mitigate this danger, Q-switches were invented which act like camera shutters by emitting timed pulses rather than continuously emitting light from their laser source.
These early devices were ineffective at hair removal as they damaged more skin than hair follicles and produced less-than-stellar results. Although technology improved rapidly during this era, it wasn’t until 1980s when scientists finally developed an easy to use and permanent device capable of providing results.
Note that while newer devices can achieve permanent results, touch up treatments may still be required in order to maintain them. Therefore, it’s essential that you locate a qualified and experienced provider, who will know which type of laser best fits with your hair color and your lifestyle.
The Second Laser
Laser hair removal is an innovative treatment offering fast, almost pain-free results that last. The technique works by targeting melanin within hair follicles with heat to damage them and stop further production of hair follicles – eventually stopping future production altogether.
Theodore H Maiman developed the ruby laser as the first laser used specifically to remove hair in 1960. While this represented a great advance over previous electrical methods of hair removal, its reliability proved to be unreliable – due to an unstable ruby crystal it frequently caused burns on surrounding skin and damaged tissue while only temporarily decreasing hair growth rates.
Researchers later developed an alexandrite crystal laser, which was less painful but still ineffective at permanently eliminating hair follicles. Unfortunately, its light wavelength was absorbed by skin rather than melanin in hair follicles, meaning that melanin wasn’t effectively targeted during treatment.
Through the 1970s, various laser variations were developed; none proved successful at long-term hair removal needs. By 1980s research concluded that there would need to be changes in how lasers were being utilized for this purpose.
Today’s laser hair removal systems operate using selective photothermolysis technology. This involves using laser light to target specific chromophores in hair follicle basal stem cells in order to damage and stop them from producing further hair growth. While it may not work as effectively for people with darker skin tones who may experience burns and hyper-pigmentation from laser exposure, advances have been made and now machines exist which are specifically tailored for darker tones.
The Third Laser
Laser hair removal was attempted almost as soon as laser technology was developed; however, it took scientists forty years to design an effective system. Early lasers did not target individual follicles effectively and often caused skin damage due to uncontrolled power output from their beam. The ruby laser, first developed by Theodore H Maiman in 1960 and introduced into public use during 1964 was capable of only eliminating small numbers of hair follicles at once but was extremely painful.
In the 1970s, alexandrite lasers became more effective at minimizing hair growth; however, they didn’t produce enough heat to permanently stop hair growth. It wasn’t until the 1980s when selective photothermolysis (i.e. targeting melanin content for destruction of hairs) became proven.
Scientists Richard Rox Anderson and Melanie Grossman discovered that melanin pigment in hair follicles could be targeted with laser light to selective photothermolysis, thus permanently disabling its ability to grow hairs. The FDA later approved this procedure known as selective photothermolysis; Anderson then went on to create many non-scarring laser treatments such as those for tattoo removal, birthmarks, pigmented lesions etc.
Today, most people can achieve permanent hair reduction using three to eight treatments of YAG laser technology. This method works best for those with dark hair and light skin as melanin absorbs laser energy differently than light hair; those with blonde, white or red hair may still require touch up treatments, unlike electrolysis which requires electrocuting the area first and causes pain while waxing requires two sessions over multiple sessions and costs significantly more money than this approach.
The Fourth Laser
Laser hair removal has long been promoted as being painless, efficient and permanent; yet it took almost four decades since the invention of the first laser to develop technology capable of effectively targeting hair follicles without damaging skin cells.
The first attempt at laser hair removal took place in the 1960s when Theodor H Maiman developed his famous Ruby Laser that could temporarily inhibit hair growth but caused severe burns and skin damage. Later in the decade, however, FDA approved an alexandrite laser which produced less heat but still managed to kill off hair follicles permanently.
In the 80s and 90s, more research was conducted to ascertain how much heat it takes to destroy hair follicles. This allowed scientists to develop lasers capable of doing just this without causing skin damage – this allowed for faster treatments with greater precision, as well as treating darker skin tones safely.
Today there are four types of lasers used for laser hair removal. All four utilize a focused beam of light to target and damage hair follicles responsible for hair growth; however, each model offers distinct advantages and disadvantages.
Your best options depend on factors like hair color, skin tone and hormone levels – these all impact how many sessions of laser hair removal will be necessary to reach desired results and how long those results will last. For example, those with darker hair who also have high hormone levels and tend to experience faster hair growth require more treatment sessions compared with someone with lighter locks who has lower hormone levels and is predisposed towards slower growth rates.
