Laser hair removal is a procedure by which hair is removed from the body by utilizing a long pulse laser. Lasers are developed and designed from years of research. The laser parameters are carefully defined by studying the anatomy of the hair follicle and precisely matching the laser light and pulse duration to the follicle size, depth and location to inhibit the re-growth of the hair.

Laser hair removal is performed by a specially-trained laser specialist or a physician who distributes the light of the laser onto the skin. The laser works by targeting the pigment in the bulb of the hair shaft, disabling hairs that are in their active growth cycle (ANAGEN phase) at the time of treatment. Since other hairs will enter their growth cycle at different times, several treatments are necessary to disable all of the follicles in a given area. 

Last updated on February 6, 2010 by Sarah Yousuff, MD