Can Laser Hair Removal Work On Light Hair?

Laser hair removal will work on light hairs that contain dark pigment, laser has no effect on light hairs that are blond, red, grey or white in colour as they don’t contain enough pigment for the laser to absorb into.
Laser uses the dark pigment (melanin) in hairs as a target, the more melanin a hair contains the more heat it will absorb from the laser. When a laser is pulsed onto the skin the light from the laser is absorbed into the hair shaft and heat is transferred into the follicle. This heat is directed down into the base of the follicle where it heats and disables the interconnecting cells that connect the small blood supply to the hair. This is a safe procedure and has been trialed and tested by the FDA.

How Does Laser Hair Removal Work On Light Hairs?

For laser to work on lighter hairs higher intensities of laser must be used in order to target these hairs, our medical grade lasers allow us to use these high intensities in the safest possible way. Our Alexandrite (For pale skin) and ND Yag (For Darker skin) lasers are designed to target dark fine hairs using high settings without compromising on the safety of your skin regardless of your skin colour, our lasers have advanced cooling systems that keep the skin’s temperature cool while delivering high doses of targeted pulses of laser deep into the follicle where it needs to go.

How Many Sessions Of Laser Will I Require For Light Hair?

Laser works quickest on thick, dark coarse hair, this is because laser sees this type of hair as a bigger target for absorption, it is not uncommon for most people to need more sessions in order to target lighter hairs during their course of treatment. It is possible to achieve great results with lighter hairs but it just may take a little longer to reach your desired result.
If you are unsure about your hair type please contact us for a FREE consultation, try to come to see us with some growth so that we can assess your hair properly. We will give you honest advice and go through a treatment plan with you on the day. During your course we will constantly assess your results so that you are getting the best from each and every treatment you have with us.

How Long Should You Leave Between Laser Hair Removal Sessions?

For best results have laser treatments every 4 weeks on facial areas and 6 weeks on body areas. It is best to stick to these intervals at the start of your laser treatment course and as you move through your hair removal sessions these gaps may be extended, for best results it is recommended that you try to stick to these time frames in order to catch hairs in the Anagen (Active) growth stage. Your laser specialist will inform you when you will need to start extending these time frames out.

What Is The Sensation of Laser Hair Removal Like?

When you begin your course of laser hair removal your hair tends to be thick and coarse, laser loves this type of hair because it has so much melanin present that the laser finds it easier to target and absorb into. The downside of this is that because so much heat from the laser is impacting on the tiny hair follicle this can make treatment feel a little uncomfortable in places. As you move through each session and the hairs starts to become lighter and finer treatment becomes much easier.

Safety Precautions Required For Laser Hair Removal

Follow the following steps to ensure a safe treatment:
• Shave the night before your treatment not the day of your session as your skin will be sensitive from shaving and needs time to replenish.
• Don’t apply any topical products to your treatment area on the day of your treatment
• Don’t take Ibuprofen on the day of your session as this may cause the skin to become sensitive leading to bruising (this is a very rare occurrence but can happen to people who have sensitive skin and are prone to bruising) other mild pain relievers can be taken instead if needed
• Make sure fake tan and all residue has been removed from your skin
• Do not use sunbeds before or during your course of treatment

Type of Laser Used For Hair Removal

Medical grade lasers will get you the best results in fewer sessions, it is important that laser machines are fully serviced on a regular basis and lamps within lasers changed regularly, the majority of laser lamps only have a certain amount of shots before they become ineffective, at Urbana we make sure our lamps are regularly changed to ensure we have a consistent level of output from our lasers.

What You Will Notice Directly After Your First Session

Fully qualified experienced laser hair removal specialists who perform your laser treatments are just important as the laser machine used. A laser technician who is very experienced will have the confidence and skill to increase the intensity of the laser and achieve the best results for you without compromising on the safety of your skin. All our staff are fully qualified laser specialists, as hair removal is the only treatment we do at Urbana we’re completely focused on it. All our staff have undergone a full training program with us and have a number of years’ experience using medical grade lasers.

What You Should Do After Your First Session

Directly after your laser hair removal session you should allow your skin time to rest, you should avoid anything that would cause more heat on your skin so skip the gym, sauna, hot showers etc. Leave your skin free from all topical products after your session with the exception of Aloe Vera, make up can be applied the following day. Avoid touching the area that has just been treated as skin will be a little sensitive after your session, it’s also a good idea to wear loose cotton clothing directly after your session to avoid irritation.

What You Will Notice Directly After Your First Session 

Your skin may be red and your follicles may be swollen directly after your laser hair removal treatment, these are normal side effects and disappear quite quickly. After treatment hairs will shed, this can take 7-14 days, hairs will look as if they are continuing to grow but will begin to fall out in this time frame. It is important to lightly exfoliate these hairs during this time to avoid them getting trapped in the skin. After hairs have shed you should experience a hair free period, the week before your next session you should start to see regrowth but this should become thinner and lighter after each session that you have. After 2-3 sessions you should only have to shave once in a 6 week period.