Laser hair removal is the act of having unwanted hair removed by a laser under the guidance of a medical professional. Patients typically receive laser hair removal treatments on areas of the body including the upper lip, chin, legs, underarms, and bikini area. Not only is this meant to remove the existing hairs, but also to slow or prevent the growth of future hairs in the treated areas. This medical procedure usually requires that patients undergo multiple sessions before seeing long-term results.1
The laser, which is a pulsating beam of light, works because its light is so intense that the beam's heat travels straight to the hair follicle (through the skin), targeting the melanin (dark pigment) in the follicle and damaging it. Because of this process and how the laser works, blond, white, and gray hair follicles are usually not successfully treated. People who tend to experience the best success rates with these procedures have light skin and dark hairs. The procedure will commonly take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours, depending on the size of the area being treated. A common side effect of laser hair removal is that the laser can, sometimes temporarily, lighten the skin or darken the treated skin. Less common side effects include blistering, scarring, or damaging of the skin.2
Before laser treatments are performed, most doctors will require a consultation to discuss medical history. At this consultation, the doctor is likely to advise that patients should not tan, and should wait for existing tans to fade before undergoing treatment. Likewise, patients seeking laser hair removal should not pluck or wax hairs.3
The laser, which is a pulsating beam of light, works because its light is so intense that the beam's heat travels straight to the hair follicle (through the skin), targeting the melanin (dark pigment) in the follicle and damaging it. Because of this process and how the laser works, blond, white, and gray hair follicles are usually not successfully treated. People who tend to experience the best success rates with these procedures have light skin and dark hairs. The procedure will commonly take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours, depending on the size of the area being treated. A common side effect of laser hair removal is that the laser can, sometimes temporarily, lighten the skin or darken the treated skin. Less common side effects include blistering, scarring, or damaging of the skin.2
Before laser treatments are performed, most doctors will require a consultation to discuss medical history. At this consultation, the doctor is likely to advise that patients should not tan, and should wait for existing tans to fade before undergoing treatment. Likewise, patients seeking laser hair removal should not pluck or wax hairs.3
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