Can't you get hair removal if your skin is dark? That statement is only half true

This is Wi Young-jin from Beauty Doctors Hongdae Beautystone Clinic.

💡 Please check this before reading

In general, hair removal is prohibited on tanned skin

because of the risk of burns.

Q. If your skin is dark, is laser hair removal itself impossible?

A. No. If the wavelength and settings are matched

treatment can be performed safely even on dark skin.

Usually, if you get hair removal with Apogee on dark skin,

you get burned!

So everyone thinks you shouldn't do it, right?!

We also perform hair removal for Black patients. haha


Q. How do you reduce the burn risk?

A. The problem is equipment that cannot distinguish skin tone.

If the device has a longer wavelength and a cooling function,

that risk can be greatly reduced.

📌 Key points of this article

Tanning, dark skin, pigmentation (Brazilian hair-removal area)

areas have a high risk of burns.

Therefore, you need to set a wavelength

that lowers the burn risk!

What is

the perfect solution for hair removal on tanned skin?

GentleMax Pro Plus (GentleMax Pro Plus) is

a dual-wavelength laser hair removal device that can switch between

755nm Alexandrite and 1064nm Nd:YAG,

two wavelengths in one device.

Unlike conventional single-wavelength devices (755nm, Alex)

that are optimized only for light skin types,

GentleMax Pro Plus can respond by changing the wavelength itself

according to skin tone, and that is the

crucial difference.

The real reason lasers burn the skin was the wavelength

The principle behind hair removal lasers is simple.

Laser light targets melanin pigment

and delivers heat to the hair root.

The problem starts here.

Melanin is not only in the hair root.

It is also in the skin itself.

The darker your skin tone,

the more melanin is distributed in the epidermis.

Then, while the laser targets the hair root,

it is also absorbed by the skin's melanin.

This is the mechanism by which burns occur.

The tricky part is that,

the shorter the wavelength, the higher the melanin absorption.

In other words, it reacts more strongly with skin melanin too.

The 755nm Alexandrite wavelength

works wonderfully on light skin,

but on dark skin it increases the risk of epidermal burns.

On the other hand, the 1064nm Nd:YAG wavelength is longer.

A longer wavelength is less absorbed by melanin on the skin surface and

penetrates deeper, acting more selectively on the hair root.

For people with darker skin,

this is exactly why the Nd:YAG wavelength is used.

But there is one important thing here.

Changing the wavelength alone is not enough.

While the laser delivers heat to the hair root,

how quickly you cool the skin surface

is the second key to preventing burns.

GentleMax Pro Plus

is equipped with a Dynamic Cooling Device (DCD)

that sprays cooling gas just before the laser contacts the skin.

Because this timing is precisely controlled,

it protects the skin surface

while delivering thermal damage only to the hair root.

👨‍⚕️ Dr. Wi Young-jin's key summary:


The darker the skin, the more melanin there is in the epidermis,


so short-wavelength lasers react to the skin itself before the hair root.


Nd:YAG (1064nm) bypasses this problem,


and adding a cooling system can substantially reduce burn risk.


It is safe not because the device is good, but because the principle is right.

Dark skin types: how do we actually approach them?

To be honest,

just because it is a dark skin type

we do not perform treatment with the exact same settings.

We first classify the skin tone using the Fitzpatrick Scale.

This scale divides skin tone into levels 1 to 6,

and the higher the number, the more melanin and the darker the skin.

From type 4 and above, we prioritize the Nd:YAG wavelength,

and start with a slightly lower energy setting

then adjust while observing the response.

It varies by case, but

this is how I usually do it.

Many people who were turned away elsewhere over burn concerns

come to us and, after 2-3 sessions,

often finish without major discomfort.

But it is not all good.

Because the Nd:YAG wavelength has a lower melanin absorption rate than Alexandrite,

its efficiency may be slightly lower at the same energy.

That means you may need 1-2 more sessions.

However, being able to proceed safely without burns

is far more important than that trade-off,

so this is the right approach for dark skin types.

Frequently asked questions

Q1. Is hair removal possible even if you're tanned?

A. Generally,

it is best to avoid treatment right after tanning.

That is because 755nm hair removal is the most common,

but at Beautystone Clinic, tanned skin

and dark skin are treated with 1064nm,

so it is not a problem.

Q2. Do dark skin types need more hair removal sessions? What about cost differences?

A. As mentioned earlier,

Nd:YAG may be slightly less efficient than Alexandrite

so 1-2 additional sessions may be needed.

It varies by area, but

we usually start with a basis of 6-8 sessions.

Cost depends more on the treatment area and number of sessions

than on the device itself, so

it is best to confirm exactly during an in-person consultation.

Q3. Can pigmentation occur after treatment?

A. If you are exposed to a large amount of UV after treatment,

pigmentation develops more than in the surrounding area.

KakaoTalk consultation is also available before visiting. This was Wi Young-jin.

▶ Read more

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