Best Laser Hair Removal Candidate

Who Is the Best Laser Hair Removal Candidate?

Who is the best laser hair removal candidate?  Is laser hair removal approved exclusively for people with light skin, or can people with darker skin tones also seek this permanent form of hair reduction and removal?  These are questions that doctors and laser specialists are asked frequently by people who are looking for a permanent solution to unwanted hair, but unfortunately there is no easy answer.  Nonetheless, in this article we will explore this topic in a bit more detail, first by answering the question, “Who is the best laser hair removal candidate” and presenting the reasons why, followed by a brief discussion regarding those with darker skin tones and the many options they now have available for permanent hair removal.

 So, Who Is the Best Laser Hair Removal Candidate?

When the laser hair removal industry initially emerged, there was essentially only one type of laser that was used for these permanent procedures, and due to the way this laser removed hair, the best laser hair removal candidates were those people with light skin.  To understand the rationale behind this, let’s take a look at how laser hair removal is performed.

In laser hair removal, a very high-intensity laser is used that specifically targets the melanin in hair, the dark pigment that gives hair its color.  In doing this, a direct heat is created that destroys and essentially kills the surrounding hair follicles.  The reason that early lasers were only effective on those with light skin, is that melanin is also the substance that gives skin its color, and when lasers are used on people with dark skin tones, not only does the laser attack the melanin in the hair, but also the melanin in the skin, creating an excessive amount of heat that can often cause burning and blistering of the skin.

This early deficiency was not just limited to those with naturally dark skin such as African Americans.  Even Caucasian people, with a recent suntan or sunburn were similarly affected, which really limited the number of people on whom laser hair removal would be effective.  Gratefully, with advances in laser technology, this problem is quickly being overcome, and although fair-skinned people with dark hair are still the best laser hair removal candidates, new lasers have now been invented that have proven very effective on those with dark skin, typically with very few adverse effects.

These days, people of various skin tones and hair pigments can benefit from the best laser hair removal available> However, because every clinic has their own policy and specific types of lasers, those with dark skin, in order to obtain the best laser hair removal treatment suitable for them need to be very cautious and do their homework. According to laser experts, the Nd: Yag laser is usually the most effective laser in treating those with darker skin tones, largely because it requires the least amount of sessions to achieve permanent hair removal.  Other lasers, such as the Diode and IPL, while also somewhat effective on people with darker skin, will usually require 8-10 sessions to produce the same results generated by the Nd: Yag laser in just a few short visits.

In summary, while there is no debate that fair-skinned people with dark hair pigments remain the best laser hair removal candidates, the rapid advances in laser technology have now made laser hair removal treatment available to a broad range of people, with many different skin tones.  Additionally, if these advances continue, as most people suspect they will, soon any candidate seeking a safe, effective and permanent solution to the problem of unwanted hair will be granted the opportunity to do so. There will no longer be a best laser hair removal candidate.