Many people turn to laser hair removal to eliminate unwanted hair permanently from parts of their body where it is unsightly and embarrassing.

The technique is doctor approved and tested over a long period of time, more than a decade before it became commercially popular during the 1990s. It is a safe and highly effective method of long-term hair removal.

Both men and women use laser hair removal methods regularly. It is safe and effecive for removing unwanted hair on the lip, chin, ear lobe, shoulders, back, underarms, abdomen, bikini line, thighs, buttocks, pubic area, cleavage, arms, neck, legs, hands and toes.

The process works by using lights that are absorbed quickly into dark matter, such as dark hairs on light skin, quickly heating it to a temperature that stops hair growth but does not affect the lighter areas nearby.

While other methods are used for removing unwanted hair, such as waxing and shaving, these methods are generally less permanent and require constant maintenance.

Laser hair removal is a medical procedure, unlike waxing or shaving, and does require a certified specialist to carry it out. In fact, the efficacy of the procedure is very likely to depend on the skill of the person who is operating the laser, so getting recommendations from others who have tried a particular practitioner is a great idea.

The procedure takes place in a medical office, or other medical professional’s office. There are also centers focused specifically on laser hair removal, and they have specialty offices in many areas of the country.
In the body, the light is absorbed by melanin, the substance that gives skin and hair color. Dark objects absorb light quickly, so the lasers used in the laser hair removal process are absorbed into the melanin.

Melanin is either eumelanin, giving hair a dark brown or black color, or pheomelanin, giving a red or blonde color. Since the photos of laser light are selectively absorbed, this technique is only effective on darker hair. There is some experimentation with coloring the hair to see if that helps target the light effectively enough to be successful.

The Mayo clinic gives some guidelines for the best candidates for laser hair removal. Those who are most likely to benefit are:

• A person who has a light skin tone, or whose skin is considered “fair”
• Someone whose hair is darker and thicker. The hair that is to be removed needs to be dark, even if hair in other areas is lighter.
• The candidates who are able to avoid the sun for 4 to 6 weeks before the procedure, so those who work out of doors are not good candidates.
• Those who can attend follow up visits regularly to check on the progress.

After consulting with a specialist and having your particular hair evaluated, you may find that you are a good candidate for laser hair removal. If that is so, it can be an excellent solution for removing unwanted hair.