My Summer was quite eventful. Among a trip to Miami and spending my 21st birthday in the infamous Palm Springs, embarking on a laser hair removal journey reigns an unrivaled highlight.
Once a fairytale of far far away, laser hair removal meant more to me than most. I mean, it wasn’t just a hair removal method; it represented financial growth, the shedding of girlhood and inevitable stepping into grown womanhood, and most of all, the victory against a long time battle of ingrown hairs and hyperpigmentation.
I can recall spending many nights googling a seemingly endless stream of questions; Can 16-year-olds get laser hair removal? How much does laser hair removal cost? And the most debilitating of all: Is laser hair removal safe for dark skin?
My research all inevitably ended the same: I needed a parental guardian to sign off on laser hair removal, prices depended on the area but I was welcome to come in for a free consultation, and laser hair removal was, might be, could be, and/or hypothetically almost safe depending upon whatever definition of the word we were using at that time.
The prices and age regulations were consistent, but the suitability for dark skin was always plagued with myths, horror stories, and frustrating clouds of uncertainty that allowed my research to end the same way each time; a rolling of the eyes, closing of the browser, and a phone call to the European Wax Center on Newbury Street.
Fast forward to age 20. I was finally fortunate enough to have a part-time job, no real financial obligations, and the legal age of maturity that would alleviate me from needing a signed permission slip. After a night of googling, I decided that I’d take the next steps simply because I could. I booked a consultation, deciding that 2021 would be the year I did instead of simply researching, considering, and making pro-con lists.
At my consultation, I briefed my laser specialist on my concerns. I’d be lying if I said all those years of scorched, raw skin horror stories didn’t impact me somehow. After being assured that the laser was able to be adjusted to a safe level specifically curated for darker skin tones, I was sold. I booked my initial appointment and subsequently counted down the days until the journey began.
You’ll be delighted to know that the pain level of laser hair removal, for me, was only a 1/10, and I would score it lower if given the opportunity. The sensation is best described as a rubber band popping the skin, lightly, over and over again. I know this might not sound super inviting, but when compared to the feeling of multiple hairs being ripped out of the skin at once, I find that laser hair removal is the almost painless solution I’ve been waiting for my whole, annoyingly hairy, adolescent life.
In addition to the minimal pain, the pre-visit preparation was easy to follow. As instructed by my laser specialist, I temporarily ceased the use of any exfoliating or retinol-based products 2 weeks prior, shaved the area of concern 24 to 48 hours before my appointment, and applied no product to the area the day of. Initially, I had reservations about reintroducing a razor to my finally soothed, razor bump-free skin. But after being assured that no irritation or subsequent expedited regrowth would be able to occur in the time leading up to my appointment, this concern subsided.
The minimal pain factor was a plus, but what keeps me coming back is the fact that I have yet to see my skin burned, sizzle, or scorched as a result of the laser. My specialist was honest when she promised that the laser was suitable for my skin tone. My skin tone is still healthily intact, and in fact, the laser has worked to lighten some of the hyperpigmentation I was dealing with as a result of years of shaving and waxing.
Here’s how it works: As a result of the, for lack of a better word, zapping, of the laser, the hair follicles are burned at the root. Regrowth is extremely minimal or permanently terminated because as the hair attempts to grow, it falls out. Seeing pesky dark brown dots on the inside of my clothing was rather unappetizing for the first few weeks after my initial appointment, but remembering the life of tweezers, blood, and endless amounts of Neosporin that preceded me allowed me to romanticize these brown dots rather quickly.
The only disclaimer, warning, or recommendation I would advise is about the timing of your laser hair process. Generally, it takes about 10 sessions to complete this process. For optimal results, it’s recommended that your skin has limited exposure to the sun. If given the opportunity to change anything about my experience, I would have started at the beginning of cold weather months so that staying out of the sun would’ve been an easier and more realistic task. In other words, if you were looking for a sign to start your laser hair removal so you can enjoy the luxury of endlessly smooth skin by 2022, this is it.
So, to simply debunk the myth, laser hair removal is safe for dark skin tones. Originally, the technology of the more outdated lasers was formed with a concept of color contrast in mind; targeting the dark hair color on a lighter skin tone. Considering this concept, it wasn’t just dark skin tones with dark hair that weren’t suited for laser hair removal; it was redheads with pale complexions, blondes, and any other combination of skin and hair combinations with little to no contrast. However, with the evolution of technology, black women, gingers, and beach blondes alike can feel secure in knowing that there is a setting suited for their genetic combination.
All in all, it’s 2021, laser hair removal is for everybody, and I think it’s safe to say we’ve progressed past the need for razor burn, bumps, and the very comical, very awkward conversations with our wax ladies amid overpriced torture.