Laser hair removal is a process that uses light energy to destroy the cells responsible for growing hair follicles. While this sounds like it would be painful or uncomfortable, modern lasers are designed to be comfortable even on sensitive areas like the face or neck.
Laser hair removal at home for dark skin: If you have dark skin, it can be hard to find the best laser hair removal method for your needs. Laser hair removal is an effective and efficient way to reduce unwanted hair growth, but not all lasers are created equal. Knowing which laser works best for your skin type can help you get the best results from your treatments.
Read on to learn more Best Laser Hair Removal At Home For Dark Skin and Preparing for Laser Hair Removal
Best Laser Hair Removal At Home For Dark Skin
Laser hair removal offers an effective and simple way to remove unwanted hair but historically has been most effective on people with fair skin and dark hair.
For the treatment to work, laser light pulses must target individual hair follicles located beneath the skin’s surface, without damaging the surrounding skin.
Melanin and Your Skin
The color of our skin, as well as hair and eye color, is primarily a result of melanin. Melanin is naturally occurring dark brown or black pigment located beneath the surface of the skin.
Melanin production is stimulated by UV radiation from the sun. Melanin also absorbs light and serves to partially protect skin cells from damage by sunlight.
The darker your skin color, the more melanin your skin contains.
The Challenge of Laser Hair Removal on Darker Skin Tones
Lasers produce beams of light-energy at very precise frequencies, which are designed to be absorbed by hair follicles, damage them, and thereby prevent new hair growth.
But for those with dark or tanned skin, melanin pigmentation can absorb some of the laser’s light energy, risking damage to the skin itself.
The challenge is to minimize damage to skin cells, while at the same time maximizing damage to the targeted hair follicles.
Effective Laser Treatment for Dark Skin
As dark skin is harder to treat effectively, it requires more skill and experience from the practitioner performing the procedure.
Recently, several techniques were developed to allow practitioners to better distinguish between dark hair follicles and similarly pigmented dark skin cells.
These new techniques are finally allowing those with darker complexions to safely benefit from laser hair removal, without risking skin burns or discoloration.
Here’s how:
Improved Laser Technology
Lasers use various ways to generate light energy. However, the lasers typically used for hair removal make use of crystals containing mixtures of chemical elements – the precise chemical composition determines the frequency of light energy produced by the laser.
The Nd:YAG laser outputs light at a frequency that can largely bypass melanin in darker skin, while still being absorbed by the hair follicles.
Careful Choice of Laser Energy Level
To prevent heat damage to darker skin, laser energy pulses are applied more slowly, and cooling devices are used to allow skin cells to cool off between laser pulses, and thus avoid damage. External cooling also reduces any pain or discomfort.
Other Laser Hair Removal Precautions
To ensure that correct settings have been set up for your particular situation, practitioners will often perform a test on a less visible area. This allows them to tune all settings to reduce any chance of creating lighter or darker spots during the procedure, a remote possibility when performed on dark complexions.
Another precaution is to avoid the use of any medications or cosmetic products that might increase your skin’s sensitivity to light. In particular, avoid laser treatments for several months after using Accutane.
Minimize direct sun exposure for several weeks before and after each treatment, and follow any other directions you’ve been given on how best to treat any redness or swelling following treatment.
Differences Between Bikini And Brazilian Laser Hair Removal
Whether or not you want to undergo laser hair removal procedures is simply a matter of preference. While there’s nothing wrong with leaving hair down there, there are many people who feel more comfortable with little to no hair. Which is why, when it comes to hair removal, men and women have many options to go hair-free. Two of the most popular procedures right now are the bikini laser hair removal and the Brazilian laser hair removal.
So what are the differences between a bikini and Brazilian laser hair removal? A bikini laser hair removal includes only the hairs in the bikini line, while a Brazilian laser hair removal covers more areas, including the upper thighs, the entire pubic area, and the area between the buttocks. Choosing which one to get ultimately depends on your preference, so here’s more of what you should know about these hair removal procedures.
Difference Between Bikini and Brazilian Laser Hair Removal
The main difference between a bikini and a Brazilian laser hair removal is how much hair is removed, and where. Generally, bikini laser hair removal involves a smaller portion of your intimate area, while Brazilian can include most or the entire pubic region.
During a bikini hair removal, a laser technician will only target the hair along your bikini line, as well as the tiny hairs that are a few inches away from it. While there won’t be any hair peeking out of your underwear or bathing suit, the rest of the hair on your pubic region will remain untouched.
Preparing for Laser Hair Removal
There’s minimal pain involved in laser hair treatment, whether you choose a bikini or Brazilian laser hair removal treatment. However, there are ways to make your procedure quick and straightforward. A few things you can do before your treatment include:
- Avoid sun exposure. If you have a sunburn or tan less than two weeks old, you’ll need to reschedule your appointment.
- Avoid caffeine and alcohol. These can make you more sensitive during your treatment, which can make the laser feel more painful than it normally is. Ideally, avoid alcohol at least one week before your treatment and caffeine immediately before your procedure.
- Shaving your treatment area. There needs to be hair attached to the follicle but no hair beyond the skin. Long hair can cause burns during the laser treatment, so shave your treatment area at least 12 hours up to one day prior to your appointment. Use a clean, sharp razor and avoid scented shaving products. Trimming isn’t recommended because it’s more time-consuming and can still leave your hair too long for the procedure.
- Avoid plucking and waxing. Don’t wax or pluck your hair – these methods pull hair from the root, leaving nothing for lasers to target. Avoid this at least two weeks before your treatment to give it time to grow.
- Observe good hygiene. This means showering and making sure your pubic area is clean – your laser technician will thank you for it.
- Wear loose bottoms. Before heading to your appointment, wear underwear with breathable fabric that won’t irritate your skin after your laser treatment. Avoid tight bottoms like skin-tight jeans. Wear a flowy skirt or loose pants made with light fabrics like linen.
Say Goodbye to Unwanted Hair With Ethos Spa
Whether you choose a bikini or Brazilian style when it comes to laser hair removal, With the right equipment and a skilled provider, you can get the long-term hair removal solution that gets rid of your unwanted hairs and gives you the comfort and confidence to feel your best.