Laser hair removal is a light based method of hair removal and it is called Photoepilation. Laser hair treatment was introduced about 20 years ago, at this time IPL (intense pulsed light) epilators were used to perform laser hair treatment. These epilators were not laser. They used full spectrum light which can be produced by use of xenon flash lamps. Now day’s laser hair removal is accepted by dermatology community and this treatment is widely practiced all over the world.

There is a simple mechanism used for this treatment as the lasers are mostly targeting melanin. The principle of laser hair removal treatment is based on selecting dark matter in an area as a target. As soon as the target is selected it is heated and the rest of the skin does not suffer any damage during heating period. Basically it is targeted the melanin of the area. This dark matter that it is targeted is called chromaphore.

All hair removal lasers which are available on the market basically considered melanin as the primary chromaphore. Only black and brown hair can be removed by these lasers because these have selective absorption of photons of the laser light. These lasers work more effectively in a combination of dark hair and light skin. Some new lasers were developed in this new era which can be effective even in a combination of black hair and dark skin. Now laser hair treatment is more popular because of its efficacy and the speed by which the results are achieved.

There are two kinds of hair treatments possible in the form of laser hair treatment, one is called permanent reduction treatment and another is called stable reduction treatment. In permanent reduction treatment hairs will not re-grow in the treated area. In the case of the second treatment stable laser hair treatment there are small chances the hair to grow in the treated area. 

Sometimes touch up treatments (3 to 8 treatments) might be required after one treatment. These touch-up treatments are especially need if the original treatment has been performed in large areas.

In laser treatment various wavelength of laser energy is used and also several pulse widths are used. For laser hair treatment, longer pulse width is safer for darker skin but, for disabling hair follicles, lower pulse width is more effective.

If you wish to follow any specific treatment visit a specialist, this is not something that can be performed in any cosmetic cabinet.