Best Laser Hair Removal for Dark Skin

My friend mentioned she got a great Groupon deal for hair removal. I asked her what they were using for their laser. She said “it was an IPL, and holy crap did it hurt. Do they all hurt like that?”

Let me clarify something, my friend is from the Philippines, so her skin is on the darker side. I just about lost my shit. Why is someone using an Intense Pulsed Laser (IPL) on a darker skinned person in the first place? Darker skin is at a sure risk for hypopigmentation or hyperpigmentation, or even blistering and scarring from an Intense Pulse Light (IPL). IPL is not the go-to device for hair removal. Not that they don’t have their place; they work very well for pigmentation and vascularity… as long as you are Caucasian. Even light Asians need to be careful using this type of technology. IPL hair removal will just never give you the results you are looking for.

How do I know what to look for in Laser Hair Removal?

Laser Hair Removal, shaving, waxing, Intense Pulsed Laser, and electrolysis are all solutions to rid yourself of unwanted hair, but which offers the best results?

Often clients become confused with regards to the difference between Intense Pulsed Laser (IPL) and laser hair removal, so we are here to ensure all of your questions are answered. At RestoBod Laser Clinics Calgary we believe there is one clear choice for safe, effective hair removal: GentleMax Pro hair removal.

Let’s first learn what the properties of a Laser are: Coherent, Collimated and Monochromatic. This means they are in a nice, tight beam of a single colour. IPL or Intense Pulsed Light could be likened to shining a light bulb on someone. You have all the colours found in light (picture the rainbow) then you need to block out the unwanted colours that can cause unwanted effects. While IPL is frequently offered as an effective laser treatment, it is important to understand that with various wavelengths, the light-bulb-like “light” can not be focused into one, concentrated beam. This is one of the definitions of a LASER; a single, collimated beam.

Laser Hair Removal vs. IPL for Dark Skin

Let’s draw a picture. We will use my friend as the example. She is darker skinned, a Skin Type 5 based on the Fitzpatrick scale. So, to safely and effectively perform hair removal on dark skin, you need to use a long wavelength, 1064 nm. to be exact. This will go nice and deep and look beyond the melanin in her skin to target the melanin in her hair follicle. Because an IPL is not a true laser, a single beam, you are having to add filters over the light to block out the unwanted wavelengths, these “light” wavelengths are produced at different depths, only some of which are actually effective for hair reduction.

They can also negatively impact the skin surrounding the hair follicles. Meaning, there is an increased risk of burning the surrounding tissue in darker skin types.

In comparison to laser hair removal, IPL can only penetrate the shallow hair follicles; therefore, darker, deeper hairs remain intact.

Safe & Painless Laser Hair Removal for Dark Skin

At RestoBod Laser Clinics Calgary, we provide the Gold Standard for laser hair removal for all Fitzpatrick skin types – Candela’s GentleMax Pro laser hair removal. The dual wavelength, 755nm and 1064nm, combines the speed and power of the two lasers for increased efficiency, safety and amazing results. The concentrated beam of light is absorbed by the melanin (pigment) within the hair follicles while leaving the surrounding skin intact and unharmed, making it a safer hair removal solution for those with darker skin.

Not only that, but laser hair removal with GentleMax Pro is traditionally more comfortable than IPL. With its patented cooling system, GentleMax Pro treatments offer minimal discomfort and require no downtime.

Although IPL may be cheaper for each individual treatment, in the long run, it will cost you more because of the numerous treatments required to get hair removal. RestoBod Laser Clinics only offers the safest method of hair removal. With permanent hair reduction in as few as six sessions and a cooling system that can be customized to your needs to ensure maximum comfort, booking your laser hair removal appointment with our GentleMax Pro experts, is a no brainer.

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