Which skin type & hair color is suitable for laser hair removal ?

Laser hair removal technology is common aesthetic procedure now a days to remove unwanted body hair . A lot of  men and woman want laser hair removal for  unwanted body hair. But before undergoing a laser therapy you need to know whether your skin fits for this treatment ? or your hair color is suitable for this or not ? 

I searched a lot on internet about laser hair removal skin types  , best skin  type for laser hair removal  and hair color etc. My research ended with  this conclusion that almost every website was discussing only Fitzpatrick skin chart , skin and hair color before going for a skin laser hair removal treatment . Then i felt that they were missing some other factors relating to this matter or all those sites were some how short in information regarding this matter .

So i personally met with a laser hair removal therapist and discussed with him about skin types and hair color which are suitable for laser hair removal treatment . He explained it to me in details and i got a satisfying answer to the question ''Am i a suitable candidate for laser hair removal treatment ? '' which is given below considering Six common Factors relating to it which you should know to make an informed decision .

Factor 1 - Determine your Skin type 

There are six skin types under 'Fitzpatrick Skin chart' . These skin types and the famous skin chart is fully explained below to determine your skin type easily .

Fitzpatrick Skin chart:

Which laser device or machine is best for your skin , this is determined by using "Thomas Fitzpatrick Skin Chart ". Fitzpatrick  chart is based on his observations of responses to sun exposure and the degree of burning and tanning of people skins . His skin classification chart is very familiar to dermatologists and is used in determining skin type for laser hair removal.

Skin type 1: Characteristics of this type of skin are very sensitive , always burns and never tans .Skin color examples are white , very fair , red blonde hair , blue eyes , freckles , Albino .

Skin type 2: Characteristics of this type of skin are minimum tanning , usually burns and sun sensitive.Skin color examples are white ,  fair skinned , red or blonde hair , green eyes , blue , hazel

Skin type 3: Characteristics of this type of skin are gradual tanning , slow burning and sun sensitive.Skin color examples are cream white ,  fair skinned , any eye ,any hair color , very common ,European mix and Darker Caucasians .

Skin type 4: Characteristics of this type of skin are minimum sun sensitive , minimum burning and easy tanning . Skin color examples are brown, mediterranean , Asian , European , American , Indian , Hispanic.

Skin Type 5 : Characteristics of this type of skin are easy tanning , rarely burns and sun insensitive.Skin color examples are dark brown  , Mid Eastern skin types , Hispanic.

Skin type 6: Characteristics of this type of skin are sun insensitive  , never burns and tans very easily.Skin color examples are Black , African , Mid Eastern , Afro - American.

Factor 2 - Go for a Patch test 

When you have determined your skin type , visit a laser hair removal clinic near to you to undergo a patch test .This test is for your skin  to confirm that you don,t have any kind of serious sensitivity towards lasers . Patch test qualifies and disqualifies skins for laser hair removal treatment.

Factor 3 - Do you have any kind of skin diseases ?

Laser hair removal is not suitable for your skin  if you have any of the following disease :

  -Diabetes
  -Infection disease
  -Skin disease
  -Pregnancy
  -Sunburn
  -Cardiovascular system disease
  -Ontological skin disease

Factor 4 - Hair & Skin color

Laser hair removal is recommended mainly for dark hair and light skin. But advance laser technology can produce results for those with red or blonde hair , dark hair and dark skin pigments too .

Laser hair removal technology works by targeting dark pigment . Therefore , it works best for pale / dark skin .The lighter the skin and the darker and more hairy , the better are the results .

Laser hair removal will not work on white , grey , light red or light blond hair follicles and also people suffering from PCOS ( Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome ) may experience poor results unless they receive proper medical treatment along with laser treatment.

Generally Laser hair removal works better with a high contrast in skin and hair color i.e darker hair,lighter skin.The reason is that darker skin absorbs less laser light so remains less effective against required results.

Factor 5 -  Types of lasers

If you know your skin type , your patch test is clear and you don,t have any skin disease then finally choose a laser hair removal device for your skin considering e.g what laser hair removal is best for dark skin or  laser hair removal for light hair etc. There are different types of laser hair removal machines which are given below for your information and guidance.

1- Ruby laser hair removal machines: Ruby lasers are very first invention . Some ruby devices are star , Epipulse Ruby ,Palomar E2000 etc. For more devices and info.  click here.

2- Alexandrite laser hair removal machines: These are well known and commonly used lasers. Some Alexandrite machiens are Apogee ,EpiTough Plus ,GentleLase etc. For moredevices and info. click here.

3- Diode laser hair removal machines: These are also used for skin hair removal treatment . Some Diode devices are Palomar SLP 1000 , Comet ,Apex 800 , Epistar , F1 diode , Laser light , Light sheer, MeDio Star ,SLP 100 etc. For more devices and info.  click here.

4- ND:YAG laser hair removal machines: These are Athos , coolguide , GentleYAG , Lyra-i , Sciton , Image , Varia,Medlite IVetc . For more ND:YAG devices and info .  click here.

5- Alexandrite / ND:YAG combination devices: These combo laser devices are Gentle MAX, Apogee MPX , Apogee Elite etc. For more devices and info.  click here.

 Factor 6 - Choose a suitable Clinic

Finally if you are ready to undergo for a laser hair removal therapy then visit different skin laser clinics in your area and choose one of them considering their expertise ,  technology and professionals . Obtain media comments , references etc of different clinics  about their experience , laser devices used , doctors and  technicians then make a final deal for a skin laser treatment.

Bottom Line : The best way to determine whether you are a suitable candidate for Laser Hair Removal or not is to schedule a consultation with your local laser specialist.The best candidates are clients with darkly pigmented coarse dense hair growth.

Tags :dark skin laser hair removal , laser hair removal Asian skin  , best laser hair removal for dark skin , laser hair removal for all skin  types