Laser hair removal has really become a popular option for removing hair, but many people that go in to inquire about laser hair removal treatment don’t understand that it is not just a “cut and dry across the board” type of treatment option for people of all skin types and all hair colors. Laser hair removal, when it first began, was actually only effective on people that had dark skin and dark hair. The good news is that there are now some options, including laser hair removal on light hair.  

How Laser Hair Removal Works

Before we go into further detail, it is important to understand how laser hair removal actually works. It uses high intensity beams of light and heat to target the actual hair follicle, and destroys it. It does so, however, without causing damage to the skin and other tissues that surround the follicle. So, how does your complexion and hair color have anything to do with this? We will go over that later, but for now there are a few things that people with light hair should understand about laser hair removal.  

Light Hair Requires a Special Type of Laser

While the first lasers that came out for laser hair removal may not have been effective for light hair, there are now some special lasers available that have changed the game of laser hair removal for people with blonde hair, or other light colored hair. Since the source of heat that comes out of the laser is drawn to darker pigments, and blonde hair does not have pigment, scientists had to design lasers with a higher intensity to get rid of these lighter hairs. The laser actually makes the blonde hair appear to have a pigment to it, so that it can attract it and remove the hair. These lasers work great for people with blonde hair, grey hair, or even white hair.  

Your Hair Grows in Cycles

Every single person’s hair grows in cycles. You have three cycles of hair growth, and they are:

• anagen
• catagen
• telogen

During the anagen phase, your hair is actively growing. Once it hits the next phase, or the catagen phase, the hair follicles will begin to die. This causes the hair growth to slow down for a while, until it reaches the telogen phase in which is stops growing altogether. The cycle will continue to repeat itself, and this is often why people require multiple treatments, including people with light hair.  

You Have More Than One Type of Hair

Did you know that there is more than one type of hair on your body? You will notice that you have some fine hairs, probably all over your body, even on your face! These hairs are known as vellus hairs. They are usually nearly invisible, and typically pretty short and fine feeling. This is hair that is almost everywhere, only missing on the soles of our feet and the palms of our hand (which have no hair at all).   Terminal hair is the other type of hair. This hair is more pigmented, and is also much thicker. This is the hair that is found on our underarms, legs, face and pubic region. Terminal hair is the hair that is most often removed with lasers. Even if your terminal hairs are light, you can still have success with a laser removal treatment.  

You Will Require Multiple Treatments

Even people with darker hair have to have their laser hair removal treatments repeated over time to get the results that they want to achieve. This goes back to our hair growing in cycles. Those with blonde or light hair are no exception to this rule. Hair removal is not usually complete until after you have completed several different treatments spread out over a good amount of time. While you may be impatient, going back in just a few weeks is not typically going to do you any good. It doesn’t give your hair time to move into another cycle.   For the best results, you will want to schedule laser hair removal sessions about six weeks apart. People that have had the absolute best results usually repeat this over the course of a year to get the smoothest results possible. You are able to achieve what you are looking for within as little as four to six treatments. This may be the case for you, or you may require more. You really won’t get a good idea until after you complete a few treatments.  

Never Use a DIY Kit

You may have seen these laser hair removal kits that have been selling both online and in stores, and while it may be tempting because it is so much cheaper, just don’t do it! It is important to see a specialist who has some professional training or certifications in laser hair removal. This not only gives you the best results, but it also helps to minimize the risk of any side effects. Don’t do something that you will regret, especially when it comes to your skin. It is even harder for light colored hair to be removed by a laser, therefore making these at home kits even more risky for people with blonde, grey or white hair.   As you can see, laser hair removal is definitely a viable option for people that have light hair. For years, as it starting growing in popularity, people were just sure that only people with dark hair were candidates. That wouldn’t be very fair now, would it? While it is an option, you should still be aware that with higher frequencies and higher intensity comes the risk for more pain. This is something that may deter some people, especially those that are not really keen on pain.   To determine whether laser hair removal is right for you, contact us. We will be able to answer any questions that you may have remaining, and we will also be able to let you know if you are suitable for it.