Laser on darker skin
The pigment factor
The combination of light skin colour and dark hair is ideal because lighter skin will tolerate higher treatment levels. But the response of hair in darker skins can be exceptional as well. In fact Fitzpatrick type IV skins with coarse hair, can have superior results, often requiring fewer than the recommended 6 – 8 treatments. This is because the hair in dark skins is intensely black providing a superior target. We recommend for darker skins to begin with laser before they proceed to electrolysis if there is a significant amount of coarse hair.
Hyperpigmentation
Hyper-pigmentation is a skin’s response to injury, and the treatment of a follicle with heat is an injury on a very small scale. Fitzpatrick type V skins react this way, resulting in a speckled or mottled appearance for a number of weeks. Our Gentlemax Pro Yag laser is optimal for darker skins because it utilizes a longer wave length that will not affect the epidermis even if it is dark. Once the coarser hair have been eliminated, the remaining finer hair will respond very well to electrolysis. Electrolysis on darker skins may result in temporary dark hyper-pigmentation as well.
Paradoxical stimulation
Is it possible that the laser could stimulate hair? Studies indicate that ‘paradoxical stimulation’ does occasionally occur. At Genie Solutions we have found very few clear cut cases of stimulation. There can be other causes of stimulation during treatment such as stress, certain health conditions, weight gain, natural hormonal changes and medications. It has been noted more frequently in dark skins than in light. If there is a suspicion that hair stimulation is occurring, treatment intervals should be increased and the client should not shave for several days prior to a treatment so that the progress can be documented.
