We are often asked about the effectiveness of Laser Hair Removal on those patients who don’t have brown or black hair. At Good Skin Days, whilst we have the absolute best lasers available in the UK, even we accept that there are limitations of this treatment for patients with red, grey or blonde hair.
Here we explain why…
Initially, hair is white. It gets its natural colour from a type of pigment called melanin. The formation of melanin begins before we are born and the natural colour of our hair depends upon the distribution, type and amount of melanin in the middle layer of the hair shaft.
Hair has only two types of pigments: dark (eumelanin) and red/pink (phaeomelanin). They blend together to make up the wide range of hair colours we see around us.
Eumelanin is found in the hair, skin and dark areas around the nipples. It is particularly abundant among black populations and provides the dark pigment to the hair, skin and eyes. If eumelanin is present only in small amounts, hair will grow lighter.
Pheomelanin is also found in the hair and skin. This type of melanin provides the pink and red coloured pigment found amongst red-haired individuals. This type of melanin is not as protective against UV radiation induced cancer as eumelanin, which is why red-haired people should take extra care in the sun.
Hair turns gray with age and genetics. Your genetic makeup affects the rate of debilitation of the melanin producing ability of each individual hair follicle. This occurs at different rates in different people. For some, debilitation will occur rapidly, while in others it occurs slowly over several decades.
The three lasers that are used for Laser Hair Removal are the Alexandrite laser at 755nm, the long-pulsed Nd:YAG at 1064nm and the diode laser at 810nm.
What do these lasers have in Common? They all target the darker melanin in the hair follicle.
The laser light is absorbed by the melanin in the hair shaft, damaging the follicles and eventually destroying them. It therefore follows that the more melanin in the hair, the better the laser is able to perform. It is for this reason that patients with blonde, red or grey hair will not experience the fantastic Laser Hair Removal results that we have come to expect with our darker haired patients.
If you would like to speak to one of our experienced practitioners or advisors further about this topic, please call the clinic on 01943 882010 or email info@goodskindays.co.uk.
