Laser hair removal is one of the most popular modern methods of hair removal, but it's not right for everyone. Here is a checklist of things to consider to make sure that you are a good candidate for laser hair removal.
Checklist for being a good candidate for laser hair removal
1. You're aware that results vary from person to person2. You have done your homework in choosing a laser practitioner3. You have Light Skin and Dark Hair4. You Want Longer Term Hair Removal Results
5. You Have a Large Treatment Area6. You can Afford the Treatment7. You can Handle some DiscomfortMost of These Points can be Cleared up with your Laser Hair Removal Consultant
1. You're aware that results vary from person to person
Laser hair removallaser hair removal treatment
Despite research in this domain, we still don't know the reason for this. Furthermore, the scientific studies in this domain aren't exactly conclusive.
Some studies report that up to 15% of patients don't respond to treatment despite appearing to be a relatively good match for laser hair removal treatment.
2. You have done your homework in choosing a laser practitioner
Laser hair removallaser hair removal
It's goes without saying that it's really important that you do your homework before having laser hair removal done. Here's an article about how to make sure you find a reputable laser hair removal clinic.
3. You have Light Skin and Dark Hair
Laser hair removallaser hair removal
This doesn't mean that laser hair removal will definitely work for you (see point 1), however it does mean that there's a very high chance that laser hair removal will work for you.
If you have a darker skin tone than Fitzpatrick type IV, then there are still a few options for you. Both the Alexandrite laser (to a certain extent) and the Nd:YAG (to a fuller extent) have been shown to be both effective and safe for those with darker skin tone.
Here is the Fitzpatrick table for reference:-
Skin Type |
Skin Colour |
Hair Color (darkest) |
Eye Colour |
Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
White or very pale |
Blonde |
Blue, grey, green |
Always burns, never tans |
2 |
Pale white with beige tint |
Chestnut or dark blond |
Blue |
Always burns, sometimes tans |
3 |
Beige to light brown (olive) |
Dark brown |
Dark brown |
Sometimes burns, always tans |
4 |
Light to moderate brown |
Black |
Brown |
Rarely Burns, always tans |
5 |
Medium to Dark Brown |
Black |
Brownish black |
Rarely burns, tans more than average |
6 |
Dark brown to black |
Black |
Black |
Never burns |
4. You Want Longer Term Hair Removal Results
Laser hair removallonger term results
While laser hair removal doesn't give permanent hair removal, it has been scientifically proven to give permanent hair reduction of varying degrees of effectiveness depending on the study you look at.
This is great for people who would otherwise have to spent an inordinate amount of time using other hair removal methods every few days or week.
For permanent hair removal, however, you'll need to consider a treatment such as electrolysis.
5. You Have a Large Treatment Area
Laser hair removal can be feasibly used on large treatment areas since the procedure is fast. The same can't be said for electrolysis, whereby each hair is to be treated individually, making the process slow and impractical for large body parts.
In fact, some people are often advised to start with laser hair removal as a precursor to electrolysis. The laser treatment reduces the density of the hair in the treatment which consequently makes treatment with electrolysis more feasible.
Laser hair removal isn't particularly accurate, though. For instance, laser hair removal for eyebrow shaping wouldn't be a good fit - such treatment would be undertaken through waxing, threading or electrolysis.
6. You can Afford the Treatment
Laser hair removalmultiple sessions
You have to be willing to "lose" the few thousand dollars that it will cost to go ahead with the full treatment process. And, even if you don't get any results from the treatment (something that is entirely possible), you have to be in a position to be able to write off the expense without putting yourself in a tight spot financially.
Many laser hair removal centres offer payback schemes that allow you to have the treatment without having to pay much in advance. This may seem like a good deal, but ultimately it means a financial commitment to pay back more than you would otherwise have to if you had saved the full amount before undergoing treatment.
Be careful not to get yourself into financial disarray, if choosing this option.
7. You can Handle some Discomfort
The laser hair removal treatment process is not pain free. However, most clinics will offer you some form of pain reliever to make the treatment as easy and comfortable as possible for you so this isn't a major concern for most people.
Most of These Points can be Cleared up with your Laser Hair Removal Consultant
Don't worry if you aren't sure about some of these points. This article is mainly to give you some things to think about before rushing into a decision.
You'll be able to talk with any reputable laser hair removal clinic about each of these points before i) paying any money and ii) having a patch test done.
Before going ahead with any laser hair removal, I recommend that you read a few of our related articles:-
- 8 Situations when you shouldn't have laser hair removal
- What does permanent hair reduction actually mean?
- How to find a reputable laser hair removal clinic
- 5 Common myths about laser hair removal
