While laser hair removal traditionally has been the most effective on those with dark hair and fair skin, the advancement of laser technology has made it possible for others to be treated as well. Those who previously were not considered good candidates for laser hair removal, including those with dark or tanned skin and other shades of hair color, can now efficiently be treated. But whether those with red hair can also be successfully treated or not remains a complex topic with little information and no clear answer.
To understand why laser hair removal may not be efficient on red hair, one needs to understand how the laser works. The laser is attracted to the amount of color, or melanin, in the hair. And dark hair has the most melanin in it, while red hair does not have as much melanin. When the hair follicle is dark, the laser can easily detect and destroy it, but because of the lack of melanin, red hair is not as easily detectable. This is why red hair becomes more difficult to treat. While dark hair might be the easiest to treat by laser hair removal, light hair is the most difficult and red hair probably lies somewhere in the middle.
The exact shade and coarseness of the hair will also play a role. While lighter shades of red hair often will not be responsive to the laser, all red hair is not the same. Someone with coarse, darker red hair might have better luck with laser hair removal treatments than someone with very fine, light colored red hair.
Many laser hair removal specialists will firmly state that laser hair removal is not effective on red hair, while others might be open to treating it. With red hair, it is hard to say exactly how the hairs will respond to the laser treatment. It is likely that the laser will not have any affect on the red hair, or if the hair is dark and coarse enough, it might.
The biggest concern with treating red hair is how efficient the treatment will be. Someone with an acceptable shade of red hair might need more treatments than the average client, or might need to be ok with a smaller percentage of hair reduction, for example, a 40% reduction rather than an 80% reduction. The experience of the laser hair removal practitioner as well as how new the laser device is might also play a role in the ability to treat red hair.
If you have red hair in a darker shade there is a small chance that laser hair removal will work for you. However, the laser hair removal practitioner will want to see your hair before determining whether it can be treated or not. A free consultation is offered by many laser hair removal clinics and is a great way to find out whether the red hair in question can be treated or not.
Photo via firaatje
