Never shaving again? Yes, please! As laser hair removal continues to grow in popularity, it's important to understand how tanned skin can impact the process. We're not just talking about a natural tan from sun exposure - even fake tanners can be dangerous when undergoing laser hair removal.
Achieving smooth, hair-free skin through laser hair removal requires meticulous attention to skin tone and sun exposure. Below, we'll delve into the scientific workings of laser hair removal and why tanned skin can pose significant challenges to the process.
How Laser Hair Removal Works
Laser hair removal targets melanin, the pigment responsible for hair colour, and destroys the hair follicle without harming the surrounding skin. The treatment efficacy relies on the contrast between your hair colour and skin tone. It delivers pulses of light that convert to heat, penetrating the hair follicle and disrupting its ability to regrow. With a series of treatments (on average six sessions,) permanent hair reduction is achieved.
How Laser Hair Removal Works on Pale-Medium Skin Types
Laser hair removal is more straightforward for individuals with pale to medium skin tones. At Starlight, we use the Alexandrite laser, which efficiently targets hair melanin, delivering heat precisely to the follicle. The settings are carefully calibrated based on skin colour during the initial assessment to ensure we effectively target the hair without causing damage to the surrounding skin.
How Laser Works for Darker Skin Types
Dark skin types, on the other hand, necessitate a different approach due to higher amounts of melanin. For darker skin tones, Starlight uses an Nd:Yag laser to help mitigate the risk of causing harm by gently delivering heat into the skin without excessive absorption by melanin. This tailored approach ensures effective hair removal while minimizing the potential for adverse skin reactions.
Why You Cannot Tan While Undergoing Laser Hair Removal
Whether from natural sun exposure or artificial tanning methods (i.e. tanning foams, creams, or other substances that alter your skin tone,) the development of a tan alters the skin's pigment composition. This shift presents a significant challenge during laser hair removal. The increased pigmentation in the skin makes it difficult for the laser to differentiate between the hair and the surrounding skin. As a result, the risk of adverse reactions, such as burns or pigmentation changes, significantly escalates.
How Can Sun Exposure Impact Your Laser Hair Removal Process?
Sun exposure can significantly disrupt the progress of laser hair removal. Even a subtle change in skin colour due to sun exposure or fake tanners increases the risk of adverse reactions. The increased pigmentation from sun exposure causes off-target absorption of laser light, which can lead to less effective hair removal, meaning more sessions are required to achieve the desired results.
What Areas Can you Treat Laser Hair Removal in the Summer?
The best areas to treat with laser hair removal in the summer months, or any month where your skin will be more pigmented due to sun exposure, are the underarms, and bikini and Brazilian areas. As these areas are often not subject to sun exposure, the risk of of reactions are very low.
When considering laser hair removal, it's crucial to consider the intricate relationship between laser efficacy and skin pigmentation. To achieve the best results, we recommend opting for laser hair removal in the fall or winter, when your skin maintains a consistent pigment not altered by sun exposure. Any form of tanning, whether real or artificial, requires careful consideration and may necessitate adjustments to your treatment plan for your safety.
Curious about laser hair removal? Book a free consultation with a Starlight Glow Master and get on your way to being hairless today!
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