There are only two solutions to excess body and facial hair that can be permanent - Hair laser removal and electrolysis. Laser technology particularly has advanced in leaps and bounds during recent times and now is a very widespread solution.

Commercial Lasers and Home Devices

Most of the laser machines are intended for medical or professional cosmetic use only. There are extremely rational reasons for this - lasers are powerful tools that can cause lasting damage to delicate human skin and organs - the eyes particularly. So sticking to sensible safety procedures is critical, and the correct training is needed in order to perform laser hair removal successfully and safely.

There are a number of home laser hair removal systems that continue to be sold but most of these are simply not powerful enough to give users the desired lasting reduction of hairs that can be successfully obtained using medical or professional cosmetic lasers for hair removal.

How it Works

Light-based and laser hair removal is done by applying an extremely concentrated ray of light with a certain wavelength to the skin. In an ideal situation the ray passes harmlessly through the skin without causing any damage, and the energy of the laser is absorbed by the roots (or "follicles" to give them the proper terminology), which are then disabled or destroyed.

Because the energy of the laser is absorbed by the dark pigment called melanin, these technologies work most effectively on light skinned, dark haired clients. However, new technology has now enabled the creation of laser hair removal products which can be deployed safely on clients with darker skin, or clients who have a tan. There is no such thing as the "best" laser machine - the best one for you will depend on the skin type and other biological factors.

Common Types of Laser

The kinds of laser hair removal machines you are most likely to encounter these days are the following: Nd:YAG lasers (Neodymium YAG), Diode lasers, Alexandrite lasers and finally the IPL or "Intense Pulsed Light" systems. The IPL systems in actual fact use a broad spectrum of light rays rather than a laser ray.

As a client, it's critical that you are knowledgeable about the different kinds of laser hair removal devices and what their most appropriate uses are. Some machines are better for clients with a certain skin type, so it's critical to do the homework to help you ascertain which variety is best for you before choosing a hair laser removal clinic.