First, it should be noted that photoepilation involves the conversion of light rays to heat in order to “burn” the hair follicle without injuring the skin. The rays target the melanin that pigments the hair. Unlike fair skin, darker skin contains skin melanin, which requires high precision devices that can distinguish between melanin in the hair and melanin in the skin. The darker the skin, the greater the risk of side effects, which is why it is important to know the differences between the proposed devices.

Skin colour classification
Skin is classified by phototype (from I to VI) on the Fitzpatrick Scale developed in 1973 based on pigmentation and reaction to sun exposure. There are also other factors, such as hair colour, eye colour and the presence or appearance of freckles.

** Outline of the Fitzpatrick Scale **

Phototype I = very fair skin; always burns, never tans
Phototype II = fair skin; always burns
Phototype III = fair to slightly olive skin; burns mildly
Phototype IV = olive skin; rarely burns, tans easily
Phototype V = brown to very dark skin; very rarely burns
Phototype VI = black skin; never burns

Intense pulsed light (IPL) hair removal: Professionals agree that the IPL method should never be used for hair removal for darker skin. It involves much too high a risk of burns, since the devices involved are not precise enough. Unlike lasers, IPL devices emit non coherent polychromatic light between 500 and 1,200 nm. Although the wavelength can be adjusted with filters, the spectrum is too broad and the devices definitely do not offer the same precision as laser systems. The warnings and operating instructions for such devices clearly indicate that they must be used only for very pale, pale or olive skin and not for brown, very dark or black skin. The side effects of IPL on darker skin may be serious and permanent (burns if the light is too strong; risk of permanent white lines and excessive hair growth if too weak).

Laser hair removal: Laser hair removal is the right method for darker skin. The primary principle behind laser hair removal is “selective photothermolysis” through a device that makes light converge into a narrow, coherent optical beam with a single wavelength, with all particles moving in the same direction. The effect of these beams is therefore stable and measured, and the energy emitted remains constant.

Ruby laser
The ruby laser is the oldest laser hair remover and is rarely used nowadays. It may be appropriate only for the removal of dark hair from fair skin (phototypes I and II).

Alexandrite laser
This is generally considered the “fair skin laser” (phototypes I to III). This type of laser has a wavelength of 755 nm (dark pink), which is not enough to treat mixed and Afro Caribbean skin.

Nd:Yag laser
This laser was developed originally to treat melanomas, ingrown hair and varicose veins. There has been a resurgence in its popularity, mainly for long-term hair removal for darker skin. Its compatibility derives from its wavelength of between 800 and 1064 nm, which corresponds to “near infrared” and is absorbed less by melanin. The advantage of this type of laser is that it can identify the difference in the concentration of melanin in the hair and the skin. This device is very appropriate for darker skin, especially phototypes V and VI, but it is considerably more painful than other lasers, such as the diode.

Diode laser
Like the Nd:Yag laser, the diode laser has a wavelength of at least 810 nm, or near infrared. The best diodes, including the LightSheer used by epiderma, are specifically designed to allow for precise adjustment of the parameters based on skin phototype. The fluence (energy), frequency and pulse time can be adjusted for all skin types (phototypes I to VI). Diode lasers are commonly used to safely remove hair from dark or black skin by lengthening the energy application time. High end devices like the LightSheer also have built in cooling systems in the handpiece to reduce the build up of heat on the skin. Hair can be targeted without side effects for the skin while minimizing pain.

Diode lasers are also used more widely in medical aesthetic clinics and are more accessible to the general public than Nd:Yag lasers.

“We use the LightSheer diode laser every day to administer hair removal treatments for all skin phototypes, from I to VI”, explains Dr. Renaud St Laurent, epiderma’s Medical Director. “The results are highly satisfactory. In the past few years, there has also been a significant increase in the number of clients with darker skin using our services.”

Certain specific features should be taken into consideration:

• Hair removal is more painful for darker skin than for fair skin.
• The number of sessions is generally higher, since the treatment is more gradual to prevent side effects.
• Tanning before or after treatment is equally, if not more, inadvisable.
• All the usual instructions and contraindications apply.

If you have darker skin, be sure to choose a reliable, well supervised professional with specialized laser technician training and relevant experience who uses a high quality device that is appropriate for your skin type.