Hair removal side effects: you shouldn’t take ‘755nm is safer’ at face value
Hair removal side effects: you shouldn’t take ‘755nm is safer’ at face value
Hair removal side effects: you shouldn’t take ‘755nm is safer’ at face value
We explain why burns, folliculitis, and hyperpigmentation can occur after laser hair removal, why 1064 nm is safer for Korean skin, and even provide a summer UV care protocol.
Hair removal side effects,
the claim that “755nm is safer”
should not be taken at face value
Last Wednesday, a 26-year-old woman
with dark brown patches on both underarms
came to the clinic.
She had received Alexandrite (755nm)
at another clinic five times, but starting from the third session, she kept
noticing the color getting darker,
which she found strange.
“I was told hair removal would make it clean,
so why did it get even duller?”
was this client's first question.
Hair removal side effects all look the same, right?
But the truth is
Laser hair removal side effects are broadly
divided into three types.
Burns, folliculitis, and pigmentation.
If all of these are simply lumped together as “a side effect,”
the response becomes completely misdirected.
Burns are epidermal damage, folliculitis is bacterial or irritant inflammation,
and pigmentation is a melanin overreaction,
so the causes themselves are completely different.
Why is it that with the same hair removal,
some people get pigmentation
and others don’t?
“1064nm penetrates deeper, so
the risk of epidermal burns is relatively low.
For Korean skin with lots of melanin, it actually
causes less pigmentation than 755nm.”
— Director Wi Young-jin (Hongdae Beautystone Clinic)
Actually, this is something I hear in the clinic
two or three times a week.
Let me explain with the case of the 26-year-old who came in last month.
The 755nm Alexandrite she received
has a short wavelength, so its penetration depth is shallow.
About 1–2 mm, roughly.
But Korean skin has an epidermal melanin content
much higher than that of Western skin.
The shallow-penetrating 755nm doesn’t just hit the follicle’s melanin,
it also stimulates the epidermal melanin
at the same time.
Then melanocytes produce more pigment as a defense response,
and that remains as PIH (post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation).
By contrast, 1064nm Nd:YAG has a longer wavelength,
so it penetrates deeply to 4–5 mm.
It passes almost through the epidermal melanin
and acts deep in the follicle.
So the risk of epidermal burns is low,
and for melanin-rich skin like Korean skin, the rate of pigmentation
drops to about
one-third of that with 755nm.
This patient also switched to 1064nm, and after three sessions,
the pigmentation faded and the amount of hair also decreased.
She said, “I wish I had known this sooner.”
Director Wi Young-jin’s key summary
For Korean skin, “which laser you use”
determines the side effect rate.
755nm isn’t inherently bad,
but for melanin-rich skin, 1064nm can be the safer
choice.
That is even more true if the skin is tanned in summer.
Hair removal side effects — see
which category you fall into
Side effect | Frequency | What to do if it occurs | Key prevention |
Pigmentation | Most common in Koreans | Stop treatment · whitening care | Wavelength selection (1064nm) |
Folliculitis | Moderate level | Antibiotic ointment · warm compress | No sauna for 24 hours |
Burns | Rarely occurs | Immediate cold compress · visit clinic | No procedure right after tanning |
Especially in summer, ultraviolet rays
double the side effects.
You should apply SPF50 or higher every day
before and after the procedure.
If you undergo treatment on tanned skin, epidermal melanin
absorbs the laser, and the risk of burns
rises sharply.
Scheduling treatment within 1–2 weeks after a summer vacation is
the most dangerous timing.
It’s safest to leave at least a month.
The three things clients ask about most
— I’ll answer honestly
Q1. Small bumps appeared the day after treatment,
can I just leave them alone?
A. In most cases, it’s the early stage of folliculitis.
If you squeeze them with your hands or exfoliate, bacteria can
get in further and leave scars.
For the first 24 hours, only soothe the area; if pustules still
increase after two days, an antibiotic ointment is needed.
Q2. If pigmentation appears, will it disappear if I leave it alone?
A. In mild cases, it gradually fades naturally
over 3–6 months.
But if you don’t manage UV exposure,
it can actually get darker.
SPF50 protection and applying whitening ingredients are first-line,
and if the symptoms linger, a low-dose toning laser
may be used in combination.
Q3. If it turns red and swells after treatment,
is it always a side effect?
A. Slight swelling and redness around the follicles right after treatment
is a normal reaction.
It usually settles within 2–24 hours.
The problem is when it lasts more than 48 hours
or is accompanied by blisters or oozing.
At that point, don’t delay
and go to the clinic where you had the procedure.
If you take away just one thing today,
— on Korean skin, wavelength selection
determines half of the side effects.
In the next post,
I’ll go over the “UV and exfoliation care protocol you must follow for two weeks before a hair removal procedure.”
This was Wi Young-jin.
Read together
Hair removal side effects,
the claim that “755nm is safer”
should not be taken at face value
Last Wednesday, a 26-year-old woman
with dark brown patches on both underarms
came to the clinic.
She had received Alexandrite (755nm)
at another clinic five times, but starting from the third session, she kept
noticing the color getting darker,
which she found strange.
“I was told hair removal would make it clean,
so why did it get even duller?”
was this client's first question.
Hair removal side effects all look the same, right?
But the truth is
Laser hair removal side effects are broadly
divided into three types.
Burns, folliculitis, and pigmentation.
If all of these are simply lumped together as “a side effect,”
the response becomes completely misdirected.
Burns are epidermal damage, folliculitis is bacterial or irritant inflammation,
and pigmentation is a melanin overreaction,
so the causes themselves are completely different.
Why is it that with the same hair removal,
some people get pigmentation
and others don’t?
“1064nm penetrates deeper, so
the risk of epidermal burns is relatively low.
For Korean skin with lots of melanin, it actually
causes less pigmentation than 755nm.”
— Director Wi Young-jin (Hongdae Beautystone Clinic)
Actually, this is something I hear in the clinic
two or three times a week.
Let me explain with the case of the 26-year-old who came in last month.
The 755nm Alexandrite she received
has a short wavelength, so its penetration depth is shallow.
About 1–2 mm, roughly.
But Korean skin has an epidermal melanin content
much higher than that of Western skin.
The shallow-penetrating 755nm doesn’t just hit the follicle’s melanin,
it also stimulates the epidermal melanin
at the same time.
Then melanocytes produce more pigment as a defense response,
and that remains as PIH (post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation).
By contrast, 1064nm Nd:YAG has a longer wavelength,
so it penetrates deeply to 4–5 mm.
It passes almost through the epidermal melanin
and acts deep in the follicle.
So the risk of epidermal burns is low,
and for melanin-rich skin like Korean skin, the rate of pigmentation
drops to about
one-third of that with 755nm.
This patient also switched to 1064nm, and after three sessions,
the pigmentation faded and the amount of hair also decreased.
She said, “I wish I had known this sooner.”
Director Wi Young-jin’s key summary
For Korean skin, “which laser you use”
determines the side effect rate.
755nm isn’t inherently bad,
but for melanin-rich skin, 1064nm can be the safer
choice.
That is even more true if the skin is tanned in summer.
Hair removal side effects — see
which category you fall into
Side effect | Frequency | What to do if it occurs | Key prevention |
Pigmentation | Most common in Koreans | Stop treatment · whitening care | Wavelength selection (1064nm) |
Folliculitis | Moderate level | Antibiotic ointment · warm compress | No sauna for 24 hours |
Burns | Rarely occurs | Immediate cold compress · visit clinic | No procedure right after tanning |
Especially in summer, ultraviolet rays
double the side effects.
You should apply SPF50 or higher every day
before and after the procedure.
If you undergo treatment on tanned skin, epidermal melanin
absorbs the laser, and the risk of burns
rises sharply.
Scheduling treatment within 1–2 weeks after a summer vacation is
the most dangerous timing.
It’s safest to leave at least a month.
The three things clients ask about most
— I’ll answer honestly
Q1. Small bumps appeared the day after treatment,
can I just leave them alone?
A. In most cases, it’s the early stage of folliculitis.
If you squeeze them with your hands or exfoliate, bacteria can
get in further and leave scars.
For the first 24 hours, only soothe the area; if pustules still
increase after two days, an antibiotic ointment is needed.
Q2. If pigmentation appears, will it disappear if I leave it alone?
A. In mild cases, it gradually fades naturally
over 3–6 months.
But if you don’t manage UV exposure,
it can actually get darker.
SPF50 protection and applying whitening ingredients are first-line,
and if the symptoms linger, a low-dose toning laser
may be used in combination.
Q3. If it turns red and swells after treatment,
is it always a side effect?
A. Slight swelling and redness around the follicles right after treatment
is a normal reaction.
It usually settles within 2–24 hours.
The problem is when it lasts more than 48 hours
or is accompanied by blisters or oozing.
At that point, don’t delay
and go to the clinic where you had the procedure.
If you take away just one thing today,
— on Korean skin, wavelength selection
determines half of the side effects.
In the next post,
I’ll go over the “UV and exfoliation care protocol you must follow for two weeks before a hair removal procedure.”
This was Wi Young-jin.
Read together
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