Traditionally, laser hair removal worked well for people with light skin and dark, coarse hair. The nature of laser meant that the device would automatically search for the contrast between the skin tone and hair color and target the dark pigment at the bottom of each hair follicle.
If you had dark skin or had white, gray, blonde or red hair or thin or fine hair, you were generally out of luck. In fact even today laser hair removal is difficult if not impossible for people with these hair colors and hair that is fine or thin. But new laser breakthroughs now mean that all skin tones can be successfully and safely treated with laser
The Nd:YAG laser is a newer hair removal technology suitable for all skin tones. While fine and thin hair can’t be treated successfully, dark and coarse hair can be successfully removed regardless of a person’s skin tone.
Laser hair removal for dark skin tones
If you’re considering laser hair removal, familiarize yourself with the Fitzpatrick Skin chart because your skin tone has an impact on the success of hair removal treatment. There are 6 Fitzpatrick Skin types where Types 1 – III are pale to white skin tones and Types IV – VI are light brown to dark brown and black skin tones.
A laser searches for the dark pigment at the bottom of each hair follicle and traditionally would naturally ignore light pale skin. The contrast between light skin and dark hair pigment would allow the laser to successfully ignore the skin and focus on the hair that it was trying to treat.
Here are the descriptions for Fitzpatrick Skin types IV – VI including some notes on how laser hair removal is possible.
| Fitzpatrick Skin Type | Typical Features | Laser Hair Removal |
| IV | Light brown skin | Nd:YAG laser is suitable for these skin types. Certain Alexandrite and Diode lasers may also be used with success. |
| V | Brown skin | Nd:YAG laser is suitable for these skin types. |
| VI | Dark brown or black skin | Nd:YAG laser is suitable for these skin types. |
The Nd:YAG laser remains the ideal and most prevalent option for hair removal for dark skin tones.
Why the Nd:YAG laser is suitable for dark skin tones
The Nd:YAG laser uses a wavelength that goes deeper into the skin than older laser technologies such as the ruby or diode, bypassing the epidermis (outer skin) and reaching the bottom of the hair follicle to successfully treat unwanted hair.
Here are some terms you will probably come across when searching for laser hair removal options:
Wavelength: Light such as a laser travels in waves. The distance between two waves is called the wavelength. A laser such as the Nd:YAG has a wavelength of 1064 nanometers (nm).
Pulse: A laser hair removal machine operates in pulses rather than continuously. So the laser practitioner presses a button to release a pulse of light on the unwanted hair and then repeats the process until all unwanted hair has been treated. The Nd:YAG is a long pulse laser which enables it to bypass the skin and target the hair follicle with its energy.
Repetition rate: For laser hair removal, it refers to the time that the skin is exposed to the laser energy emitted from the machine.
In the past, the concern with laser hair removal for people who have dark skin usually focused on the probability of hypopigmentation (lightening of skin pigment) or dark spots. This was a major concern with early lasers and meant that laser hair removal was not safe.
Newer technologies such as the Nd:YAG laser allows a pulse length that won’t damage the skin but is one that reaches a high enough temperature level at the bottom of the hair follicle to damage it to achieve hair removal. The power of the Nd:YAG wavelength isn’t absorbed by the melanin of your skin as with older lasers.
So there needs to be a balance between the power of the laser hitting your skin and not damaging it but being strong enough to damage the bottom of the hair follicle which is the ultimate goal.
Focus on your specific hair removal requirements
Referring to dark skin or light skin doesn’t mean much on its own for hair removal purposes because it’s relative. The value of the Fitzpatrick Skin type chart is that it enables you to specifically define your skin type for the purpose of finding the best laser hair removal option for you.
Your ethnicity should also be considered as different races can react differently to laser. In that regard, finding a clinic that has experience with your skin tone and ethnicity is important. Ask for references or examples of customers similar to you who have been successfully treated.
Laser machines are adjusted by the technician operating the machine to match your skin type but your ethnicity should also be taken into account.
Laser hair removal considerations
A modern laser such as the Nd:YAG features a combination of a longer wavelength, longer pulse duration and active cooling technology that makes it safe for all skin types.
Dark coarse hair remains the ideal target but it’s best to visit a quality hair removal clinic personally to discuss your situation specifically.
Hair grows in cycles and laser hair removal only works during the growth phase. It is thus important to find a hair removal clinic that can help you plan a hair removal schedule that meets your needs. You’ll probably find that your laser hair removal schedule is every 6-8 weeks or thereabouts. This gives your hair a chance to enter the growth phase between visits so you can treat the maximum amount of unwanted hair each time.
The color and texture of unwanted hair is key to successful hair removal
The ideal candidate for laser hair removal remains a person whose unwanted hair is dark and coarse. White, gray, blond and red hair is difficult if not impossible for successful laser hair removal treatment.
Having said that, a person who has red hair may also have coarse hair and thus may achieve successful hair removal.
Dyeing your hair won’t help because laser targets the pigment at the bottom of the hair follicle and hair dye typically doesn’t reach that far. The natural color and texture of your unwanted hair is the key to successful hair removal.
Determining what constitutes thin or fine hair is up for debate, too. It really is on a case by case basis.
Laser hair removal is a specific technology
Over the past number of years, home hair removal options have become widely available at relatively low prices certainly compared to the average cost of hair removal which is about $290 per session. It can get confusing when you read various marketing terms and expressions and wonder what each means.
A few thing to keep in mind:
- Most home hair removal products are light-based not laser. Professional laser hair removal machines cost tens of thousands of dollars and are far more powerful and thus dangerous than a light-based home machine you can buy for $50.
- Professional laser machines require training. Commercial hair removal clinics should have professionally trained staff and carry liability insurance to protect against lawsuits should a customer get hurt. Home hair removal machines might have an instruction manual but due to their lower power, produce inferior results.
- You may hear about Intense Pulsed Light also known as IPL. IPL is not a laser technology but a light-based one and you will find that many home “laser” hair removal products are in fact light-based IPL ones.
- IPL like early laser products works best on light skin and dark hair. IPL also searches for the contrast between skin and hair color so if you don’t have a light skin tone, hair removal will not be successful.
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