Lasers for use in hair removal are growing in usage and popularity. Their ability to direct light and heat through the skin and directly at hair follicles has made them the preferred choice for permanent hair remove.  The technology has continued to adapt to meet this new demand. Let’s take a look at the most common lasers and how effective they are at removing unwanted hair.

Hair removal lasers are grouped into 3 basic categories based on the light source:

• Red-light systems: 694-nm wavelength ruby (no longer used for hair removal)

• Infrared-light systems: 755-nm wavelength Alexandrite, 800-nm wavelength Diode, and 1064-nm wavelength Nd:Yag

• Intense pulsed-light systems: 590- to 1200-nm wavelength

Alexandrite lasers were the first to be used for laser hair removal and are still the most widely used today. They operate on a shorter wavelength system than other lasers. This makes them very effective on dark haired individuals with light colored skin as the dark hair makes it easy for the laser to zero in on the pigment in the hair follicle. Unfortunately, light haired people or those with dark skin are not good candidates for this type of laser.

The Nd: Yag laser was created to address the shortcomings of the Alexandrite lasers. The Nd: Yag laser can operate in short (Q-switched) or long pulse mode. The long pulse mode is the most effective for removing hair on dark skin individuals. The longer pulse durations, however, are not as effective in the longer term as the regrowth of hair is significantly faster with this type of laser.

The Diode lasers are a compromise between the Alexandrite (short) and Nd: Yag (long) lasers with respect to wavelength duration. Therefore, they can be used on both light and dark skin individuals without excess damage to the surrounding skin. They are very effective and can clear large areas of unwanted hair usually in one treatment.

IPL, or Intense Pulsed Light, is a different kind of laser that uses multiple wavelengths vs. one wavelength as in the other lasers. This gives them more flexibility in the amount and duration of light delivered. It’s this flexibility that makes them effective across multiple skin types and colors.

Laser technology continues to evolve based on the needs and demands of the market. As the male laser hair removal market continues to grow, we will see new and better tools as they strive to meet the demands of a growing marketplace.