Laser Hair Removal Dark Skin

Traditional hair-removal lasers are only a good option for people with dark hair and light skin because the light beam targets dark pigment, making the Laser Hair Removal on Dark Skin difficult and risky.

The darker skin types contain a lot of pigmentation, and the laser and IPL gets “confused,” making it less effective and increase the risk of undesirable side effects.

For those with darker skin, newer 1064-nanometer Nd: YAG lasers, like Gentle Max Pro, is a good alternative to older pigment-targeting lasers and IPL. They still target melanin but zero in on the hair follicle rather than the skin surface above. By penetrating at this specific depth, this laser allows us to treat any dark-skinned patient safely.

Skin colour classification

Skin is classified by phototype (from I to VI) on the Fitzpatrick Scale developed in 1973 based on pigmentation and reaction to sun exposure. There are also other factors, such as hair colour, eye colour and the presence or appearance of freckles.

Outline of the Fitzpatrick Scale

Phototype I	very fair skin; always burns, never tans
Phototype II	fair skin; always burns
Phototype III	fair to slightly olive skin; burns mildly
Phototype IV	olive skin; rarely burns, tans easily
Phototype V	brown to very dark skin; very rarely burns
Phototype VI	black skin; never burns

Intense pulsed light (IPL) hair removal: Professionals agree that the IPL method should never be used for hair removal for darker skin. It involves much too high a risk of burns, since the devices involved are not precise enough. Unlike lasers, IPL devices emit non‑coherent polychromatic light between 500 and 1,200 nm. Although the wavelength can be adjusted with filters, the spectrum is too broad and the devices definitely do not offer the same precision as laser systems. The warnings and operating instructions for such devices clearly indicate that they must be used only for very pale, pale or olive skin and not for brown, very dark or black skin. The side effects of IPL on darker skin may be serious and permanent (burns if the light is too strong; risk of permanent white lines and excessive hair growth if too weak).

Laser hair removal: Laser hair removal is the right method for darker skin. The primary principle behind laser hair removal is “selective photothermolysis” through a device that makes light converge into a narrow, coherent optical beam with a single wavelength, with all particles moving in the same direction. The effect of these beams is therefore stable and measured, and the energy emitted remains constant.

However, not all laser devices are equally suitable for hair removal for darker skin.

Laser Hair Removal Dark Skin Video