Laser Hair Removal Essentials

Although the whole concept of laser hair removal has caught up with the general public, not many people know what laser hair removal is and how it actually works. This is undoubtedly the “age” of laser surgery.

The principle, on which hair removal using lasers works, is quite straightforward- the fine laser beam uses the contrasting colors of the skin and the hair follicles to identify hair follicle and burn them from the roots, removing hair effectively.

Yes it is true that a laser beam can bring about extremely observable changes to body tissues and it can be effectively used to carry out some of the most stringent medical procedures with ease. While most laser treatments revolve around cosmetic enhancements in the body, some laser treatments are imperative for the medical well being of the patient. The basic underlying principle on which the whole theory of laser hair removal works is that of light and its absorption.

Since light is absorbed better by dark and dull objects as compared to bright shinier surfaces, laser (which is a form of light) is absorbed to a greater extent by the dark hair follicles as compared to the skin. This hyper-absorption of laser results in the desired action. The dark color of hair follicles is due to a pigment (color) called melanin and the quantity of melanin decides the efficacy of laser hair removal.

On the hind side, this technique is literally ineffective in removing burgundy or blonde hair, as the amount of dark pigmentation in such hair is virtually absent. New techniques, nonetheless, are being developed, which are proving to be quite effective in such cases as well.

To know more about how laser works, we need to know more about melanin- the material that is targeted using the laser beam. There are two types of melanin in the human body- the first that produces black or brown hair and the second type is the one that results in burgundy and blonde hair.

While the former hair coloration allows for an easy removal of hair, the latter hair color pigmentation is a bit difficult to deal with. Although, some more complicated and expensive techniques have been developed, which do offer considerable hair removal in cases having blonde/red hair texture.

During the actual treatment process, depending upon your kind of skin, an ointment/local anesthetic might be applied to your skin to numb the area. After this process is over, the laser source is illuminated and the light is beamed at the target area, after which the laser beam strikes the skin and is absorbed by the melanin in the hair follicles.

The laser beam is fine enough to penetrate the minuscule pores of the skin and act directly on the root of the hair follicle, preventing hair from re-growing. The reason why conventional laser techniques do not work with dark/tanned skin is that instead of getting absorbed at the root of the hair follicle, the laser beam is absorbed by the skin and therefore, the hair follicle is never targeted in the first place.