Laser Hair Removal

Laser Hair Removal is a very high-tech method of removing unwanted hair and can be extremely effective in providing permanent hair removal. The
effectivenes depends on a number of factors, including:

• type of laser being used
• color of hair
• color/type of skin
• hair growth cycle

There are a 5 different types of lasers that are used to remove hair. Some
suit light skin, some suit dark skin, some suit light hair and some suit
dark hair. The best laser type for you will depend on the combination of you
hair color and skin type. And even if you get it all right, the permanency
of the laser treatment will depend on what stage of the hair-growth-cycle
hair is in.... sounds complex - it is !

But to make some sense of how it all works, here's a brief overview. For
more detailed information, use the links on the left side of this page.

The laser process doesn't actually remove the hair, rather, it 'impairs' the
hair folicle which causes the hair to fall out over time. In brief, the
energy from the laser passes through the skin, and is absorbed by the
pigment in the hair (follicle and shaft). When the energy is absorbed, the
hair follicles are 'damaged', which impairs their ability to grow.
Eventually the hairs will fall out, usually within a matter of weeks, but
depending on what stage of the growth cycle the hair is in, the laser might
not provide permanent removal after a first treatment.

You see, the hair growth cycle comprises three stages

1. Active: Anagen
2. Regressive: Catagen
3. Resting:Telogen

Laser hair removal treatments are best suited to the Anagen stage where the hair shaft and follicle contain the most pigment, and is most sensitive to the laser light.

In the Catagen stage, the hair has stopped growing but isn't yet shed. The laser will work in this stage, but if it is late in this part of the cycle, a new hair might
already be coming through and will not be affected. Which leads us to the Telogen stage.

In the Telogen stage the hair falls out and a new one begins to form. The new one might not be affected by the laser because it will not have pigment in it yet.

Throughout this site you will learn about the growth phases of hair and the
connection with effective laser hair removal. You will also learn more
in-depth information about the different types of lasers available for
treatment today.