Offering a long-term solution to dealing with unwanted body hair, laser hair removal is a popular treatment among women and becoming increasingly popular with men too. With laser hair removal treatment, it’s important that you properly prepare for your appointment, especially for those with Asian or Black African skin. It is important to choose a clinic that has experience in specialising in darker skin tones.
Laser Hair Removal on Asian and Black African Skin
While there is no truth to the idea that laser hair removal isn’t effective or safe for darker skin tones, what is true that not all laser machines will be able to effectively remove hair on Asian and Black African skin.
All lasers work by targeting the pigment, or melanin, in the hair but for the older generation of laser machines, this meant that they would also target the melanin in the skin, which lead to a risk of burning on darker skin tones, working only on those with light skin and dark hair.
However, newer generations of lasers can be calibrated so that the light is absorbed mainly by the hair rather than the surrounding skin, allowing them to be used on Asian and Black African skin without the risk of causing burns or blistering.
For laser hair removal on darker skin tones, the two different types of laser recommended are the Diode Yag laser or the Nd: YAG laser. Here at The Laser Treatment Clinic, we specialise in treatments for darker skin tones and use a Diode Yag laser for hair removal on Asian and Black African skin as it is the gold standard for individuals with darker skin tones and black or brown hair.
Preparing for Laser Hair Removal
Before your laser hair removal appointment, it’s important that you properly prepare the area in order to get the best results and avoid any potential complications or side effects.
In the weeks leading up to your first treatment, you should avoid waxing the area or any other form of hair removal that works by removing the hair from the root. You can still shave and should do so the day before your appointment. You should also avoid plucking or waxing after your treatment, allowing the hair follicles to fall out naturally.
It’s also important that you avoid using any harsh skincare products such as acids, retinol, retinoids, and topical eczema medications on the area you are looking to have treated, otherwise this could lead to complications. This is because the chemicals in these products can make your skin more sensitive to the laser treatment, in the same way, that they can make your skin more sensitive to sunlight.
On the day of your appointment ideally wear loose-fitting clothing if you are having a body treatment Our laser hair removal treatments include laser hair removal for Asian and Black African skin, ensuring that your skin type is treated with the safe care and expertise it deserves.
