Laser Hair Removal for Dark Skin 2023: Safety, Risks, and Tips
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With laser hair removal, hair growth is drastically reduced or even eliminated after a few sessions. This means fewer products to buy, fewer salon visits, and more money in your pocket. Consult with a derma clinic or a laser specialist who has experience with diverse skin types to ensure the safest and most effective treatment. Improper laser settings or using the wrong type of laser can increase the risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, a condition where the skin becomes darker in treated areas. While laser hair removal can significantly reduce hair growth, it’s considered semi-permanent.
Laser Hair Removal for Dark Skin: What You Need to Know - Glamour
Laser Hair Removal for Dark Skin: What You Need to Know.
Posted: Tue, 14 Jul 2020 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Myth 1: It’s Not Safe for Dark Skin
The damage caused by improper laser treatments is often permanent and ranges from burns and scars to hypo- and hyperpigmentation. Although laser hair removal effectively delays hair growth for long periods, it usually doesn't result in permanent hair removal. Multiple laser hair removal treatments are needed for initial hair removal, and maintenance treatments might be needed as well. Laser hair removal is most effective for people who have light skin and dark hair, but it can be successfully used on all skin types. At Ethos Spa, we want our patients to regain their confidence in their own bodies.
YAG Laser Hair Removal vs. Similar Treatments
Thankfully, technology has made some improvements, and now there are laser hair removal options for dark skin that have less risk of damaging the skin. We spoke with the experts to ask the important questions—what laser is best for dark skin, what you need to do to prepare, and how to know if this treatment is right for you. The Alexandrite laser hair removal treatment should never be performed on Mediterranean or darker skin. Gone are the days of relying on temporary solutions and dealing with the hassles of frequent hair removal.
African American and Ethnic Skin Care
We understand how hair in the legs, armpits and other places can hinder you from flaunting them, so we offer laser hair removal treatments to eliminate unwanted body hair. Our team uses advanced YAG laser devices that work well even for patients with darker skin tones. Laser hair removal treatments are some of the most popular hair removal methods out there, especially if you're looking for long-term results. “Lasers remove hair by emitting a beam of light that targets the melanin pigments found in hair follicles,” explains Dr. Henry. She finds that professional laser can work for a wide range of skin tones, especially darker tones, and the professional treatments can be less painful for most because of the built-in integrated cooling systems. "In my experience, professional laser treatments have the ability to target larger areas faster with better results," she adds.
Hair transfers heat to the hair follicles and destroys them, so hair can’t grow. Additional side effects include hyperpigmentation, darkening of the skin, or hypopigmentation, lightening of the skin. For these reasons, it’s been a long-standing myth that laser hair treatment is only possible for those with light skin. Food and Drug Administration considers these home laser hair removal devices to be cosmetic, not medical, which means they don't get the same level of scrutiny as other medical devices. Currently, there haven't been large, long-term studies on how safe and effective the home machines are. You should avoid sun exposure and use sunscreen or moisturizer with SPF to prevent burning, as your skin will be more photosensitive than normal.
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In contrast, the diode laser (often referred to as "the laser for all skin types") requires more treatments and is not suitable for darker Indian or African American skin tones. There is a high risk of hyperpigmentation with IPL hair removal, and the effectiveness of hair removal is very low. For dark skin, there is no laser hair removal that is safe and effective.
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Friendliness of the staff during appointment
So, how can you tell which laser treatments are right for darker skin tones? Here, we caught up with top dermatologists and an aesthetic nurse to find out why skin tone affects the outcome of certain laser procedures and the best skin refining and hair removal laser options for those with darker complexions. Laser hair removal has long been discouraged for those with dark skin.
After your session, you may experience minor bumps on your skin due to inflammation of the hair follicles, "but those typically go away within a day or so," says Dr. Charles. He adds that redness is also common, and he tends to give people a mild topical steroid to use for a few days following the session in order to reduce it. Speaking from personal experience, providers typically offer aloe vera gel to soothe the skin immediately after performing treatment on each area.
Recent advancements, however, have created new opportunities for clients with darker skin to enjoy laser hair removal. Rarely, laser hair removal can cause blistering, crusting, scarring or other changes in skin texture. Other rare side effects include graying of treated hair or excessive hair growth around treated areas, particularly on darker skin. “Shaving can be done within a few days prior to the treatment as this helps to shorten the hair but still leaves the follicle present,” she adds. It's worth mentioning again that though laser treatments can make a big difference in the amount of hair on your body, it's not considered permanent hair removal.
"To reduce any redness or swelling after treatment, it is recommended to apply a cool compress, aloe vera, and topical corticosteroids morning and evening for five days post-treatment," says Murphy. "This can be aloe vera, vitamin E, vitamin K, or hydrocortisone 1 percent over the counter," he explains. One of the standout features of laser hair removal is its precision. The laser targets hair follicles without affecting the surrounding skin, ensuring that only the unwanted hairs are dealt with. When reviewing at-home laser hair removal tools, we referenced the device manuals to compare specs including expected service lifetime and maximum energy output, as well as features like automatic skin tone sensing. We tried the skin contact sensor on each model to check that it would only flash when in contact with skin.
A lot of misconceptions exist about what laser hair removal is and what it can and can’t do. In this video, board-certified dermatologist Dr. Carolyn Jacob separates fact from fiction. If you choose to use a home laser hair removal device, follow the instructions that come with the device to help reduce the risk of injury, especially eye injuries. Thankfully, YAG laser hair removal is here to help solve that dilemma—and it's becoming an increasingly popular solution. We spoke with board-certified dermatologists DiAnne Davis, MD, and Marisa Garshick, MD, to learn more about this dark-skin-friendly method of hair removal. For those who have begun their research, you've probably heard laser hair removal providers or friends who have gone through with it say that it's painless.
Since the treatment only targets the pigment of the dark hair, laser hair removal won’t affect the surrounding skin of the treatment area. This also makes the treatment more effective for patients with dark hair and light skin. Patients with dark skin tone or light hair color may still try this treatment, but it’s best to consult with a doctor first to find out if they have the appropriate laser devices for your skin type or hair type. Aesthetic lasers target water, red hemoglobin, or brown melanin in the skin. Skin types IV to VI have a higher concentration of melanin, which means there is a greater risk of damage if the laser is used incorrectly.
Therefore, a contrast between hair and skin color — dark hair and light skin — results in the best outcomes. The biggest issue when performing laser hair removal on dark skin comes from the heat that the lasers produce, says Dr. Charles. The intensity of the heat can potentially heat up melanin and harm the skin, leading to pigment changes like post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation or hypopigmentation. This is why it's imperative to use a laser that will solely target the pigmentation of the hair follicle and not your skin, and get services from people who have experience working with skin of color. “In patients with dark skin, the diode laser’s energy has to be delivered in a slower manner per pulse, leaving more time for skin to cool,” says Gmyrek. “I would overall say that it’s the least painful,” says Estee Williams, M.D., a dermatologist in New York City.
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