Laser hair removal kills hair follicles at the root with an intense, pulsating light. The process takes between an average of four and seven sessions spaced one month apart each and usually requires a yearly maintenance visit. However, not all people are good candidates for the procedure.
Potential Problems with Dark Skin Tones
Laser hair removal treatment is actually recommended for patients with fair skin. This is because the laser light targets the melanin in hair follicles and the surrounding skin in order to destroy the hair. The darker your skin, the more melanin is present in your skin. An unfortunate side effect of some of this laser treatment is that some of the melanin in your skin may be destroyed, leaving you with unrepairable light splotches on your skin.
A Positive with Dark Skin Tones
If you have a dark skin tone, you most likely have dark hair. The darker and coarser your hair, the more effective the laser hair removal treatment can be.
Careful cosmetic specialists have used advances in laser hair removal technology to be able to effectively treat patients with dark skin tones. If you still want the treatment regardless of the risks, see if you can find a cosmetic specialist who has successfully treated dark-skinned patients with this technology before.
