What is "Melanin"?
Melanin exists in the plant, animal and protista kingdoms, where, among other functions, it serves as a dark pigment. This pigment is visible in human hair and is the primary determinant of human skin color.
The process of laser hair removal works by directing the laser onto the skin, where the laser high-energy light becomes absorbed by melanin located in the hair follicles. Once absorbed, the light transforms into heat, destroying the entire part of the follicle responsible for the growth of new hair.
Due to the fact that a laser targets melanin, the more melanin an individual has in his/her hair, the more effective a laser will be.
To see how melanin affects the success of laser hair removal, see Will laser hair removal work for me?
 |
Goto Top |
|
Find a doctor who can answer your questions |
What
are the different types of lasers used for hair removal?
There are several laser and laser-like devices currently used for hair removal. Some of the more common ones are detailed below:
. Alexandrite: The long-pulse alexandrite laser accomplishes deep penetration into the skin where the hair follicles are located. The heat build-up in the hair shafts disables those follicles in the active growth phase.
. Diode: The diode laser is a very efficient device that contains small diodes or semiconductors that are arranged together to produce light. The diode laser has a longer wavelength than other lasers used for hair removal, which may improve treatment results on darker skin types.
. Light based sources: In many circumstances, intense pulsed light devices also operate on similar principles to lasers. Using the photoepilation process, the device offers a broad spectrum of light to treat a variety of hair and skin colors as well as hair depths. Some of the commonly used light-based sources include:
. Q-Switched Nd:YAG: This laser delivers two different wavelengths of light. One is an invisible infrared light used for deeper penetration. This wavelength is used to reach deeper hair follicles. The other wavelength, a green light, is used for treating hair follicles closer to the surface. In both cases, the Q-switching device emits rapid bursts of laser light to the treatment site.
. Ruby: In this type of a light-based source, the red-colored beam seeks out the target melanin inside the hair shafts.
|
Goto Top |
|
Find a doctor who can answer your questions |
Photoepilation destroys the hair follicle using controlled flashes of light. The light used is very powerful. The hair absorbs the light projected by the device and the intense heat destroys it. This heating is painless. In order to obtain the best results with photoepilation, we need all the light energy sent by the machine to be absorbed by the hair and not by the nearby tissues.
|
Goto Top |
|
Find a doctor who can answer your questions |
Will Laser Hair Removal work for me?
Due to the fact that a laser targets melanin, the more melanin an individual has in his/her hair, the more effective a laser will be. Therefore, someone with gray, red, or blonde hair is not as good a candidate for laser hair removal.
In addition, the more melanin in your skin, the darker it looks. Since the laser does not distinguish between melanin in hair and melanin in skin, the more melanin present in the skin, the more the laser is going to target the skin rather than the hair. Therefore, someone with darker skin is not as good a candidate for laser hair removal.
Light skin and dark hair are the best combination for laser hair removal. The more closely an individual's skin tone matches his/her hair color, the less likely he/she is to benefit from laser hair removal.
|
Goto Top |
|
Find a doctor who can answer your questions |
