In the 1970's an unwilling scientist exposed his arm to a 692 diode pumped YAG for several seconds only later realizing that the hair was burned off. The incident did not hurt him, and there were not any repercussions with the skin, but the hair never re-emerged.

The exact experiment was repeated countless times with the same results, slowly changing the face of the hair removal industry. Soon the FDA approved this new method of hair removal, and over the next 20 years, the progression of laser hair removal has been revolutionary.

A future without tweezers, razors, hot wax, and smelly lotions seems too good to be true for hairlessness. With research in energy wavelengths, pulse durations and intensity levels were carefully researched. Side effects were minimized and efficacy increased. Researchers and technicians added photosensitive (light-absorbing) carbon dyes late in the 1990's, dramatically improving the rate of photon thermal exchange (conversion of radiation into heat) and making the procedure more effective and reliable on light colored hair growth. This new field of development was called Photodynamic Therapy (PDT).

The use of lasers was not new to the cosmetic industry, it had been in use for years in dealing with facial and leg veins, age spots and smoothing fine lines on the face. Laser energy is transformed into heat, disabling the follicle while leaving the surrounding area unaffected. Methods in the past have included electrolysis, but that procedure was limited in its treatment, because it meant treating each individual hair independently, which was time consuming, not to mention ended up being quite costly.

With laser hair removal being non-invasive, it is easy to treat delicate skin in larger areas without disruption to the structure of the outer layer of skin. Technicians consult with you about the different types of lasers, and what process may be best for you. It is important to remember that the laser can only destroy hair in its active growth phase, called the anagen phase. Up to 85% of our hair is in this phase at any given time and the positive aspect to that is that during this phase, our hair has an abundance of melanin and the hair follicle is easily targeted.

                                              Thanks to www.dermanetwork.org