Laser hair removal is a procedure by which hair is removed from the body by utilizing a long pulse laser. Lasers are developed and designed from years of research. The laser parameters are carefully defined by studying the anatomy of the hair follicle and precisely matching the laser light and pulse duration to the follicle size, depth and location to inhibit the re-growth of the hair.

Laser hair removal is performed by a specially-trained laser specialist or a doctor depending on where you go, who distributes the light of a long pulse laser onto the skin. The laser works by disabling hairs that are in their active growth cycle at the time of treatment. Since other hairs will enter their growth cycle at different times, several treatments are necessary to disable all of the follicles in a given area.

Both men and women seek laser hair removal services to have unwanted hair removed. Hair removal is commonly done on the hairline, eyebrow, top of the nose, lip, chin, ear lobe, shoulders, back, underarm, abdomen, buttocks, pubic area, bikini lines, thighs, face, neck, breast, arms, legs, hands, and toes.

Laser works best on pale skin and dark coarse hair. The closer you are to this combination (i.e. the lighter the skin and the more coarse and dark the hair), the better the results will generally be. Alexandrite and long pulse types of lasers work best on light-colored skin. Nd:YAG long pulse lasers are better and safer on darker skin (skin types IV and darker). Since laser works by being attracted to and targeting the dark pigment, using an alexandrite or a diode laser on darker skin can result in skin burning or loss of skin pigment (hypo-pigmentation). Long pulse Nd:YAG lasers were created to cater to dark-skinned patients, so they are safer on the skin at settings that actually affect the hair than alexandrite laser.

When choosing your hair removal options, select an environment whose main priorities are your safety, health, and results.

The general opinion is that laser hair removal is permanent, and some experts have approved it as “permanent reduction,” but doesn’t work on everyone. Generally, this means that you shouldn’t expect laser to remove every single hair from an area. Most people need to follow up with electrolysis treatments for any remaining hairs for complete clearance as hair becomes too fine for laser to target and you reach diminishing returns. Most will also need touch-up treatments 1-2 times a year after the initial set of treatments for any new growth your body develops with age.

It has also been observed that some people seem to be non-responders – this is not confirmed and reasons are not known as not enough research has been done in this area. Keep in mind that it's also difficult to judge whether someone’s lack of results is due to the person’s potential underlying medical condition that causes continuous growth and makes it seem like laser isn’t working, whether the treatment wasn't performed properly, or whether for some people it just doesn't work and we don't know why. Basically, you can’t determine this for yourself unless you try it. In addition, results also depend on many variables involved, including the tech's experience, type of laser used and how settings are set, etc.

Electrolysis is considered a permanent hair removal method that has been used for the past 125 years. It involves treating one hair at a time and can take a considerably long time to complete a large area, but IS an option as well. It is also the recommended method for small areas (generally, chin, upper lip, eyebrows, etc), as well as for fine and light-colored hair. The most cost-efficient treatments to completely clear an area should start with laser to remove the bulk of the hair and finish with electrolysis to remove the remaining finer sparse hair.

Lasers are optical devices, which produce intense coherent, collimated and monochromatic beams of light. A laser consists of an active medium such as a crystal, gas or liquid that amplifies light when excited by an external energy source (a flash amp or electric discharge, for example). When the appropriate medium is employed, the laser can be fine-tuned to generate a very narrow band of light wavelengths (such as the individual colors of the visible spectrum).

Lasers designed for permanent hair reduction emit wavelengths of light designed to be absorbed by the pigment in the hair (melanin). If the surrounding skin is relatively light compared to the color of the hair, then the entire energy of the laser will be concentrated in the hair shaft, effectively destroying it without affecting the skin or follicle. Hair removal lasers target the dark pigment in the hair. That’s why laser hair removal works best on light skin (so laser passes right through) and dark coarse hair (has most pigment).

While the laser emits a beam that only heats the hair shaft, heat is transmitted from the hair shaft to the surrounding tissue for several milliseconds after the laser pulse. Several lasers possess cooling attachments, which cool the surrounding skin to fully absorb any heat transmitted from the destroyed hair shafts.

Be aware that hair removal systems that use traditional light for treatment (Intense Pulse Light machines or IPLs) are not true hair removal lasers. These devices use a highly concentrated beam of traditional incoherent light, often in conjunction with a cream or gel, to burn the hair shaft. A serious flaw with these systems is that they lack the laser's ability to produce a selective bandwidth of light that will only affect the hair shaft (selective photothermolysis). These devices produce a wide bandwidth of light that can heat up all of the surrounding tissue. IPLs are generally cheaper devices and are used for various skin procedures first and foremost, with hair removal as more of an afterthought. Judging from consumer feedback, true lasers usually achieve better and faster results for hair removal purposes.

Most people need at least 6-8 initial treatments spaced 6-10 weeks apart. This is because hair grows in 3 phases and is killed in the first “anagen” active growing phase. Several treatments are needed to target ALL hair in the active growth phase. Approximately 6-10 weeks after every treatment, additional treatment is required to eliminate the hairs that came out of the dormant phase and are now active. After 6-8 treatments or so, patients should experience a considerable percentage of hair reduction. Depending upon hair type and genetic factors, some clients may require additional treatments beyond these initial treatments. If it seems like the treatments are not working after 6-8 treatments, patients should look into possible underlying reasons.

Usually, treatments are spaced 6-8 weeks apart to start, and gradually move to 8-10 weeks apart after the initial 2-3 treatments. Instead of following an arbitrary schedule, wait until you have experienced shedding of the treated hairs (should complete within 2-3.5 weeks) and you see enough hair come in after the hair free period to justify the next treatment.

You should shave the area to be treated 1-3 days before treatment (some clinics will offer to do this for you, but beware of irritation caused by disposable razors etc). No waxing or removing hair with the root with any other way is allowed 4-6 weeks before and throughout the course of treatment, as hair needs to be in place to be targeted by laser. The area should be shaved as closely as possible so that laser can target the most energy towards the hair follicle and not waste energy on the part of the hair above the skin’s surface. If your hair is the type that you can’t see where it was right after you shave, make it a bit easier on your tech not to miss the spots you want treated by shaving 1-3 days before so the outline of where hair is growing is just VERY slightly visible.

After treatment is completed (underarms take under 10 minutes, back treatment can take 1 hour or so), you should apply aloe vera to soothe the skin for a few days. Within 2-3.5 weeks, you should experience shedding of all treated hair. At first, hair will look like it’s growing back in, but it is just coming through the skin to shed. Shedding starts at about 1.5 weeks and can last until 3.5 weeks post-treatment or so. Exfoliating and/or scrubbing gently in the shower with a loofah (bathing sponge) can help speed up the process. After shedding finishes, you might experience little black dots still “stuck” in the skin. These are commonly referred to as “pepper-spots” and will shed eventually, but might take a bit longer. Exfoliate to help those out as well.

After shedding occurs, you should experience a hair-free period for a few weeks, until next set of hair that was dormant before starts to come in. Once you have enough to justify one, go in for another treatment. This usually happens within 6-10 weeks post-treatment. Patient continues this process until he/she has reached diminishing returns and the remaining hairs are too fine for laser to target, or until you have reached you desired reduction.

If you don’t experience shedding, the settings used might have been too low and you should inform your technician that it didn’t happen. Also, if you feel that a lot of hair didn’t shed, the technician might have missed a lot of areas, and you might consider asking for a free touch-up. This should be done 4 weeks after treatment as by then shedding will be complete and you will know that whatever remains wasn’t affected. Certain clinics might offer these touch-ups free of charge when you sign up for treatments as their standard practice.

The clinic: Make sure that you go in for a comprehensive consultation to see if you are happy with the way the clinic looks and feels (clean, up-to-date and informative) and avoid being pressured by sales reps to sign up on the spot (often prevalent at chain clinics). It’s recommended to sample 3-4 places before committing. You will probably find that prices can vary as much as 100-200% (and some will have options of paying up front for a package of treatments, while others won’t). Make sure you feel that they showed more interest in how the treatment will work for you and your personal results instead of being more interested in how much you will be paying.

The laser technician: Make sure that the person treating you has extensive experience of hair removal and has knowledge of how to best kill the hair (Ask a lot of questions about this at a chain clinic as you might get a different tech every time you come for treatment. Chain clinics vary by location, so make sure you are comfortable with everyone there and they don’t have a high employee turnover if you do decide to go with it). Ask questions and make sure they answer them based on your research. If you are an informed consumer, you will be able to better judge whether what they’re saying is in your best interests or not. Keep in mind that whether a person treating you has an MD or not does not necessarily reflect their laser hair removal skills. Hair removal is not taught in medical schools, so what you should be looking for instead is specific knowledge of and experience in hair removal.

The laser: Make sure that the laser being used is best for your skin and hair type. Do not fall for “marketing hype”. Every laser can technically be used on any skin type, but you should be looking for one that will produce the most efficient results for YOU.

Diode lasers are very effective when the skin type is light and the hair is dark enough to attract the laser within the follicle. Just because it is an alexandrite, does not make it the best on the market. Precision cooling of the skin prior to laser application, exact delivery of an effective energy beam deep into the tissue, and proper training can make all the difference between maintenance or permanence.

Diode lasers work best on skin types I-IV. The most popular on the market is the LightSheer laser by Lumenus.

Diode & Nd: YAG long pulse lasers are best for treating darker skin types or patients of color such as: Afro-American, Asian, Hispanic, Mediterranean, European and Middle Eastern.

Diodes are generally more effective on finer hair given higher settings than Yag lasers. So, if your skin type falls into types III-IV and the hair is finer, an alex or a diode is preferred. If your skin is darker than a type V and the hair is fine, the hair might not have enough pigment to be treated, so a test spot might be necessary before committing to a treatment.