Continuing our series of blogs exploring hair and skin care we asked professionally qualified and experienced practitioner, Alicia Trenchard, Director of Education at Renew Medica, about the different lasers for hair and skin types and the impact of treatments.

Plus we are launching the second of three competitions with Renew Medica where you can win a free consultation and a course of laser hair removal to the sum of £1000.

Q What is the best laser to use for hair removal?
It depends on your hair type and skin colour. A good practitioner should invest in more than one type of hair removal system to suit the needs of each client – since everyone is different. At Renew Medica, we’ve done just that. Make sure that wherever you go you are not being shoehorned into a treatment to suit the practitioner – the treatment needs to suit you.

Q What are the different types of laser?
There are three main types: Alexandrite, the Nd YAG, and the Diode. The names refer to the material inside the laser machine that produces the laser energy. They are loosely referred to as the Alex, YAG and Diode.

Q How do they work?
Each laser type produces infra red laser light that penetrates deep into the skin to reach the hair follicles, producing a slightly different type (wavelength) of infra red energy. The infra red light is absorbed by any pigmentation (colour) that is present in the hair as well as the skin, causing a heating effect which reduces the hair growth. The differences in the lasers mean that the skin and hair will absorb the light differently.
The lasers are also described by their wavelength, which is measured in nanometres. For example, the Alexandrite laser produces a wavelength of 755nm, the Diode 800nm and the NdYAG 1064nm.

Q How do I know which treatment is right for me?
The shorter the wavelength (Alex laser), the more it is absorbed into the skin where there is colour. This means that if you have a lot of colour in the skin, you are tanned or you naturally have a dark skin type, the shorter wavelength lasers can sometimes cause too much heat in the skin. Therefore, the Nd YAG is often chosen to treat darker skin types as it has the longest wavelength and therefore the least heating effect in the skin, making it the less risky option for unwanted side effects.

However, all the laser types can be used on most skin types.  An experienced operator can adjust the treatment settings to optimise the results. Darker skin types can be treated on the more aggressive lasers, but with carefully selected settings on the machine.

Q What are the possible side effects of laser hair removal?
The way that lasers work to remove hair is to heat up the hair shaft and follicle. As described above, the skin also heats up as well, but not as much as the hairs. Sometimes, the skin may accidentally overheat during a laser treatment, which may cause a burn or a blister. The darker your skin, the more it will heat up with laser treatment, and the greater the risk of unwanted overheating in the skin. A blister may be initially be distressing and unsightly, but will heal up over a few days. A treatment may sometimes result in some discolouration that will take some months to even out.

Skin burns are quite rare as professional practitioners are fully trained to operate the lasers. If your practitioner asks you to return to the clinic for new test patches, it is important that you follow the advice given as this is to prevent unwanted side effects.  Your practitioner will adjust the settings of the lasers or recommend the correct laser treatment and type.

A less common side effect, which sometimes happens in fair skin types, is bruising. This can happen when there is very little colour in the skin to absorb the laser energy, and the blood vessels beneath the skin get hot. This is more likely to be caused by the more aggressive Alex and Diode lasers.

If a bruise does occur, it will not cause any long term problems or affect the treatment, and will heal up in a few days. 

Q What impact should I expect from a treatment?
This will very much depend on the type of hair and the body area treated, eg: coarse hair on the underarm, you should notice a significant reduction after one treatment (10%- 30%). Whereas with fine hair on the face, you will be hair free with smooth skin after one laser treatment for up to four to eight weeks. This makes laser hair removal a popular hair management method but the long-term reduction is less predictable. The impact on lifestyle in both cases is the elimination of shaving stubble, rashes, spots or ingrown hair after waxing, no dark roots from bleaching and far less frequent attention to unwanted hair.

Q Can a sun tan affect my treatment?
If there’s a chance you may have been tanned by the sun in between treatments it is important to tell your practitioner. A tan can cause unwanted heating in the skin and lead to problems.

Q Make sure you ask questions, and always take advice
The side effects of laser treatment should be discussed clearly and honestly during a pre treatment consultation. It is important to follow the advice from your practitioner and it is also your opportunity to ask any questions. Test patches should be carried out to determine the correct setting for your skin and hair type, before treating the area or condition.

Other blogs in this series:

• Hair removal and skin rejuvenation - Laser or IPL?
• Hair removal and skin rejuvenation - Laser or IPL Q&A
• Advanced Skin Care: Revealing a new you
• All about Botox