What type of laser hair removal is best for darker skin types?

Instead of shaving, waxing and tweezing, laser hair removal is fast becoming the number one form of hair removal around the globe. After all, who doesn’t want a body/face, minus the bumps and irritation caused by other forms of hair removal and more importantly, after a course of treatments, virtually no hair! Sounds like a godsend, and with the latest laser hair removal systems, it just is.

So why is laser so good? Laser hair removal, performed with the latest technology by a trained and experienced laser specialist delivers the results that you expect; dramatic reduction of unwanted hair. Celebrities are also putting down their razors and opting for laser hair removal. The likes of Kim Kardashian, Cheryl Cole and Victoria Beckham have been very vocal about their appreciation and love for the laser.

However, with all the laser hair removal companies opening up around the capital, capitalising on the ‘laser trend’, how do you know which is the best laser for you, especially for those with darker skin tones who often have difficulties finding a laser system that works for them. Well, the experts at Mayfair Aesthetics Laser & Skin Clinics have the answers.

First things first. What is laser hair removal?

Laser hair removal involves administering highly concentrated light into the hair follicles. Pigment in the follicles absorbs the light, creating heat that damages the structures that create hair – the hair bulge, bulb and vascular supply. Once these structures are sufficiently damaged hair stops growing. Lasers are useful for removing unwanted hair from the face, arms, underarms, bikini line and anywhere else unwanted hair may appear. Protective goggles are worn so really the only part of the body that cannot be treated is directly around the eyes. Lasers selectively target dark the melanin (pigmentation) within hair while leaving the surrounding skin undamaged. Obviously, this is the tricky part, for those with darker skin, it can be more problematic for the beam to target hair exclusively and remove it.

The science part and a lesson to the emoji colours of skin tone

The most effective and safest lasers for Fitzpatrick Skin Type 4 to 6 clients are systems utilizing the Diode or Yag laser wavelengths which have the ability to bypass the melanin in the surface of the skin and target the root structures of the hair.  The Fitzpatrick scale is a numerical classification schema for human skin colour.  Type 4 sunburns minimally and always tans well (moderate brown). Type VI Never burns, never tans (deeply pigmented dark brown to darkest brown). See the image guide above.

Ride the wave, altogether

There are a number of other wavelengths (inc, Alex) which are important for the removal of unwanted hair in a safe way,  there are systems that utilises all of these in one and are considered the best laser for darker skin shades – Soprano Ice Platinum and Soprano Titanium.  So, what’s that? Well, say that we are in the car industry, Soprano Lasers are the Rolls Royce of Laser Hair Removal. In short, the best in the business. One of their many perks compared to other laser systems is that the treatment is virtually painless and perfect for darker skin tones. The Soprano Ice Platinum and Titanium systems are one of the only models to emit all 3 laser wavelengths at once for the most effective treatment.

Best at Chilling and no shots!

The Soprano Ice Platinum and Titanium systems employ a sapphire contact cooling system, which is the most effective method of constantly cooling skin during treatment. This is more effective than the cold air device employed on other laser hair removal systems.  The Soprano Ice Platinum and Titanium also employs an SHR (Safe Hair Removal) technique, rather than the traditional ‘shots’ based treatment. Well, what does that mean? There are a number of machines which employ a ‘shots’ like treatment which can be very painful and may involve a higher risk of complications.

Think of an elastic band slapping your skin, yes that’s the ‘shot like’ effect of the laser and then think of that happening a hundred or so times in the space of a few minutes. Ouch. However, the Soprano Ice uses the SHR technique; whereby the treatment applicator is passed back and forth over the treated area while the laser flashes on and off 10 times a second at a lower intensity, allowing energy and heat to build up gradually rather than instant painful ‘shots’ as delivered by traditional laser systems. With another point for this on its points card, The Soprano Ice Platinum and Titanium models again win outright in this category for the innovative SHR treatment method.

Overall, yeah they are the best laser hair removal system for darker skin.