Posted on April 29, 2022 by Body Details Team For decades, millions of people have enjoyed the benefits of laser hair removal, but early laser hair removal machines didn’t work with every skin type or hair color. Modern advances have allowed cutting-edge laser centers, like Body Details, to effectively use laser hair removal on a much broader range of skin types and hair colors. But how well does laser hair removal for blond hair work?
Read on to learn more about blond laser hair removal.
How Laser Hair Removal Works
To understand the unique challenge of blond laser hair removal, it’s important to know how the process works. Lasers excite the molecules in a gas, crystal, or gas. These molecules create focused unidirectional light. When this beam hits a surface, the light converts to heat. With laser hair removal, specifically, the light travels down the shaft of the hair follicle and heats the bulb at the bottom, rendering it unable to keep growing hair — the follicle is dead.
The Challenges Presented by Blond Hair
Everyone’s skin is different, but doctors use a scale to describe certain skin tones. The Fitzpatrick Scale, developed by Dr. Thomas B. Fitzpatrick in 1975, uses a six-category range to describe skin tones. Type I is the fairest skin type, and type VI is the darkest. For years, blond hair on Type I skin and dark hair on Type VI skin presented the greatest challenges for laser hair removal. That’s because the technician had to visually identify and target hair follicles. These two scenarios presented the greatest difficulty as these skin tones camouflaged the hair.
How New Technology Has Changed the Game
Laser technicians are no longer reliant on visually identifying each hair follicle to target it. Newer devices, like the GentleMax Pro True Laser Class IV used by Body Details, can not only be calibrated for different skin types, but it eradicates multiple follicles at once. This is a tremendous breakthrough that benefits people with fair skin and brown or black hair as well as darker people with dark hair. The GentleMax Pro True Laser combines a 1062 nm Nd:YAG laser with a 755 nm alexandrite laser. Although it comprises two laser types, the Gentle Max Pro True Laser operates as a single unit. It is the most powerful laser in its class that’s been approved by the FDA for hair removal and other procedures.
At Body Details True Laser® Centers, once a medical professional has assessed your skin, they will calibrate the GentleMax Pro True Laser Class IV unit for your skin and hair type. Using this effective tool reduces session time, enhances effectiveness, reduces the risk of skin damage, and makes treatments more comfortable. Unfortunately, while laser hair removal is now safe for all skin types, it remains ineffective for white, blond, or red hair. Laser energy is still absorbed in the pigment of hair follicles and follicles with too little pigment do not absorb enough laser energy to successfully kill the root of the hair. If you’re unsure if laser hair removal will work on your hair color, schedule a free analysis at Body Details True Laser® Centers.
The Advantages of Laser Hair Removal vs. Other Hair Removal Methods
Laser hair removal is safe, cost-effective, and permanent. If you’re tired of the drudgery and routine expense of shaving or waxing, permanent hair removal is the right move for you. Here are a few of the benefits of laser hair removal at Body Details True Laser® Centers:
- Once your treatments are complete, you won’t have to worry about shaving or waxing the affected area.
- Body Details offers the Devil’s in the Details™ guarantee as part of your all-inclusive package. If you need extra sessions, you won’t have to pay for them.
- Body Details offers free touchups for life. If you ever experience hair growth in a treated area (usually the result of hormonal changes such as pregnancy or menopause), you can get it touched up at one of our Body Details True Laser® Centers at no cost within the terms of our free lifetime guarantee.
- Sessions usually take less than an hour, and you can schedule them on nights or weekends.
- Using a high-intensity laser that has integrated cryogenic cooling, we ensure the most comfortable, patient-friendly experience possible.
Other laser hair removal processes offer temporary results, painful experiences, and excess costs. Shaving only lasts a few days and involves a lifetime of purchasing razors. Waxing requires you to allow the stubble to grow in before it can be effective. Additionally, it’s extremely painful. And on the pain scale, electrolysis is much more uncomfortable than laser hair removal.
Frequently Asked Questions about Blond Laser Hair Removal
If you’ve decided that it’s time to permanently eliminate your blond body hair, you probably have questions. Here are some answers to the most frequently asked questions we hear at Body Details True Laser® Centers.
Why Do Different Hair Colors Matter?
Different hair colors often have different levels of pigment, which is why our medical professionals perform an assessment prior to recommending a course of treatments. Because there isn’t as much pigment in blond hair, the laser may not transfer sufficient energy to the hair follicle to effectively destroy the root. The darker the hair, the better the absorption of laser energy, and therefore, the better the results. The laser must be adjusted for subtle differences in hair color to maximize efficacy.
Does Laser Hair Removal Work on Different Hair Colors?
Sort of. Laser hair removal works across the full spectrum of darker hair colors. However, lasers do not effectively treat white, blond, or red hair because these hair colors have insufficient pigment. Even if you have dark treatable hair for the purposes of laser hair removal treatment, it’s essential that an experienced laser technician calibrates the device based on the hair type.
What Laser Hair Removal Treatments Should a Person with Blond Hair Get?
Current technology cannot safely and effectively treat blond hair with a laser. The GentleMax Pro True Laser is the best-in-class laser for laser hair removal, and even it cannot effectively treat blond hair. The only available permanent method of hair removal for blond hair is electrolysis. For any other treatable hair laser hair removal, make sure that you choose a laser center that is equipped with a medical-grade dual-wavelength laser that can safely treat hair on all skin types.
Does Laser Hair Removal Hurt?
Some individuals express minor discomfort during the process. It’s often likened to a rubber band snapping against the skin. To help alleviate this, our medical laser technicians uses an integrated cryogenic cooling mechanism that sprays cryogenically cooled air with each laser pulse to minimize irritation.
What Should I Do Before and After Laser Hair Removal?
Before
- Avoid excess sun or tanning beds a few days before your treatment.
- Shave the treatment area the day before.
- Do not apply creams or lotions.
- Dress in loose-fitting clothes.
After
- Avoid lotions or makeup for 24 hours after treatment.
- Avoid the sun or use sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher.
- Do not scratch, tweeze, or pick at the affected area.
How Many Laser Hair Removal Treatments Will I Require?
The number of treatments varies, but most patients require between 5 to 10 sessions with a two-month break between each one. All sessions are included in the treatment price, so it will not affect you financially if you need extra sessions.
Laser Hair Removal for Blond Hair
If you have blond hair and you’ve been told that laser hair removal isn’t an option for you, the only exception may be if the area you are looking to have treated is darker than the rest of your body hair which is often the case. To be sure, come to your local Body Details for a free consultation. Our medical professionals have performed thousands of laser hair removal procedures and have the equipment and experience to evaluate your unwanted blond hair. Call today.
