I’m Stephanie and have been one of the laser technicians at the Chandler Derma Health Institute since its inception.   Over the years I’ve accumulated a pretty good following of men and women laser hair removal clients, especially clients with darker skin types. 

When it comes to laser hair removal there are many lasers for different skin types, so it’s important for me that I have more than one choice depending on the skin color I’m treating.  While many lasers claim to treat both dark and light skin types, I’ve found that there are lasers that are specifically the best at one or the other.  The reason it’s important to distinguish between dark skin vs. light skin is that lasers look for any pigment under the skin to target and kill (i.e. dark hair).  However, people with more color in their skin have to be extra cautious that they are being treated with a laser that will not target their skin color but only their hair color.

Melanin cells, or the cells in our skin which give our skin color, lay very close to the epidermis, or surface of our skin. Darker skin types obviously have more melanin in the surface layer of their skin, where lighter skin will not have much melanin in the surface. Because of these facts, light skin and dark hair is the ideal candidate for laser hair removal.  However, darker skin is also very effective with the right laser.

In our office we use a Diode Light Sheer from Lumenis which we have found to be the most effective in providing results to lighter skin types.  We use a Cutera YAG for our hair removal treatments for darker skin types. The Diode is best on light skin due to the fact that it penetrates very superficially into the skin. The YAG penetrates much deeper, which means it will bypass any skin color and target only pigmented hairs.

If you’re interested in learning more on laser hair removal for any skin type you can call, email or set up a consultation at one of our offices.   I’m always available at our Chandler office if you want to specifically talk with me and I’m happy to share my knowledge with you!