What is Not True of Laser Hair Removal

If you’ve ever suffered from the annoyance of post-shave regret – those little red mountain bumps on your skin that remind you of embarrassing photos from high school – then laser hair removal is probably something you’ve considered. This is an easy and safe way to reduce unwanted hair growth. However, if you’ve been to a salon or family medicine clinic for laser treatments and experienced disappointing results, you may have wondered if this was due to poor technique or improper equipment. This article will discuss what is not true of laser hair removal so you can make an informed decision about whether this treatment is right for you.

Myth: Laser hair removal is dangerous because it emits radiation.

The FDA has approved laser hair removal systems to be safe for use on the body. The system uses light-based energy that is directed into a single hair follicle and destroys it, leaving the surrounding skin unaffected. This is not the same type of radiation used in an MRI or CT scan, which does use ionized radiation that can damage cells and increase cancer risk.

Myth: Skin or hair color can impact laser hair removal results.

While skin and hair color do affect the result of laser treatments, these effects are usually not significant. Lasers work best on people with dark hair and light skin because the pigment contrast allows the laser light to target the hair follicle without damaging the surrounding skin. While it is impossible to completely destroy all hair follicles, multiple treatments will result in reduced hair density and slower hair regrowth.