The majority of laser machines are created for professional use only. There are highly good reasons for this - lasers are powerful machines that can cause serious injury to delicate human organs and skin - the eyes in particular. So complying with stringent safety procedures is critical, and the correct training is necessary in order to carry out laser hair removal effectively and safely.
There are a number of home laser hair removal devices that continue to be marketed but the vast majority of these are simply not sufficiently strong to give customers the desired lasting reduction of hairs that can be successfully obtained using professional lasers for hair removal.
The Technology
Laser and light-based hair removal is done by applying an extremely concentrated ray of light with a particular wavelength to the skin. In an ideal scenario the ray goes harmlessly through the skin without causing burns, and the laser ray's energy is "soaked up" by the roots (or "follicles" as they are termed), which are then destroyed or disabled.
Because the laser ray's energy is "soaked up" by the dark pigment called melanin, these technologies work best on light skinned, dark haired customers. However, new technology has now enabled manufacturers to build laser hair removal tools which can be deployed safely on customers with darker skin, or customers who have tanned skin. There is no such thing as the "best" laser machine - the best one for you will vary according to the skin type and other personal factors.
Commercial Lasers Used Today
The kinds of laser hair removal machines you are most likely to find in use today are the following: Diode lasers, Alexandrite lasers, Nd:YAG lasers (Neodymium YAG) and finally the IPL or "Intense Pulsed Light" systems. The IPL systems in fact use a wide spectrum of light rays rather than a laser ray.
Many of the laser clinics treat their customers with one particular laser. This is understandable as these are not cheap technological tools. And it is a fact that there exist today a number of machines which are highly versatile. However, for your own particular skin and hair type a particular machine may be the most suitable. So please learn a bit about the kinds of laser hair removal products before selecting a clinic.
