Best type of laser (light skin/light-med. hair)

Hair Removal Methods Laser hair removal
#1

Hello. I am new to this forum. I am mid-30s male with light skin and differing hair characteristics. My hair on my chest is thick and dark. My hair on my back is thinner and less dark (medium). My hair on my shoulders is long (!) and dark. My hair on my arms is light, almost blonde. I would like to laser all areas – chest, back, shoulders and arms. Now, the question is – which laser is best for these areas?

Also, I have read over the promotional materials for various treatment centers and they say to shave the lasered area before treatment. I have also read messages on this board and others that suggest that after treatment, the hair sheds, which leads me to assume that the target area wasn’t shaved before treatment in those cases. So, am I missing something here? I am curious if shaving increases or decreases the effectiveness of treatment.

#2

First, laser is attracted to dark pigment. That’s why it works best on light skin and dark coarse hair where full laser energy is going to the dark hair to kill it and not the surrounding skin. That’s why laser doesn’t work on blond hair (there is one new laser called Comet which claims to treat blond hair with special RF technology…but we haven’t seen any posts about its success on blond hair yet). shaving is necessary before any laser treatment. Treatments are performed on the shaved area so that the full laser beam potential affects the root of the hair and not anything above the skin’s surface. After the treatment, the hair looks like it’s growing, but it’s actually coming out of the skin and then sheds within 2-3 weeks. After that you have a hairfree period, until new batch of hair that was dormant before the first treatment grows in. That’s when it’s time for your next treatment.

For light skin and dark hair, either a diode or an alexandrite lasers are best. There are various types made by different manufacturers. The most important thing is to find an experienced tech who can manipulate settings best to achieve the best results for you.