Hello,
I noticed that after a few laser hair removal sessions in my bikini, the hair remaining is brown-ish and there are even ones with blonde ends. My hair used to be BLACK. I am still not done with the sessions as I still have a lot of hair left, but I’m not sure what to do in this case.
I am not sure if it’s just me that’s facing this situation.
I had a client with auburn hair, who had LASER on the beard, and ended up with a face full of white fiber optic strands instead.
It was hard to explain why one had vibrant auburn hair on the head, and grandpa’s beard, and had the nerve to claim to be 25… Yeah, right, nice face ID grandpa. 
I cleared it up for him with electrolysis.
Allow me to add a possibility to this situation. Could it be that there was a mixture of darker hairs and white/clear hairs and the laser did affect the dark hairs, but left the white/clear hairs unaffected, rather than causing the lack of pigment?
I am certain that all the hairs were black. I did not have this issue with any other part of my body that was treated. The hairs did become finer, but not change color. I asked the technician and she said this isn’t the first time a client comes to her with the same issue after a few treatments.
I am very confused and don’t know if I should stop treatment.
I wish I could do electrolysis! Unfortunately, I can’t because I don’t know of any good ones where I am (Middle East)
I can’t really think of any reason rooted in physics for the color change due to laser, so I’m not really convinced the laser itself caused hair pigmentation changes, especially since other areas you treated stayed the same. Was any part of the area exposed to sunlight? Since you said there’s a lot of hair left, Dee’s explanation seems much more plausible.
LaserQ, I have heard of some great electrologists in Lebanon and Turkey. I can get their details if these location are convenient for you. Beruit and Istanbul.
Hi LaserQ. I have seen loss of pigmentation after laser treatments in hair in areas where hair has started to turn gray already, but it turns white, not brown or blond. If left alone it can re-pigment by the end of the anagen cycle. It indicates insufficient energy levels. I believe the scientific explanation is that laser light is absorbed by the melanin/pigment/colour of the hair. In the germinative matrix where the hair is produced there is an area where the clear cells become filled with pigment molecules and, respectively, higher concentration of pigment. This area would absorb laser light very well and turn it into heat and consequently, become damaged. If the heat isn’t enough to reach the level of the bulge though, which in the anagen stage is farthest away from the germinative matrix, the hair follicle will eventually be reconstructed and will grow new hair. The pigment producing part may be delayed, if a major pigment producing cell was destroyed, before another one takes its job over.
The scenario you are describing is a bit strange though as usually people with black hair produce only one type of melanin and people with brown hair produce different type of melanin. I have never observed black hair to turn brown or blond.
Brenton and geri, thank you for your replies. I am not sure what’s happening either. I am positive that my hair was black, I am middle eastern with light skin and black hair everywhere, especially in my bikini. I remember this happened after my 2nd session, but it got darker again - back to normal, then I got another session. Now it’s been 15 weeks since my last session and it’s very dark brown with a few ones with dark blonde ends. I was treated 3 times using gentleyag 15mm (26, 28, 30 joules), 3ms. The technician saying it is common confused me even more because she had no explanation for it.
Yes, please! I would like to consider them, although it would be quite expensive to travel there for sessions, but I would if they’re good. Thank you!
I’ve been reading around, and I would appreciate any input. Could the issue behind not seeing a lot of improvement after 3 sessions be that the pulse width is 3ms? I read in some areas where the hair is deep (such as the beard of bikini), going for 3ms isn’t good? I am wondering, because the joules seem okay. Anyone has an idea?