Question:
I am planning on laser hair removal for my chin and upper lip. Do I need to discontinue plucking the hairs prior to coming in for hair removal?
Answer:
We are consulted frequently with regards to laser hair removal of the lip and chin. Laser hair removal works by laser energy energy destroying the hair follicles beneath the skin in order to prevent regrowth of hair. The best candidates for hair removal or those indivuals with dark hair and lighter skin as the laser can better find the darker hair follicles when they are in lighter skin. That does not mean that patients with darker skin cannot be treated for hair removal, but, the lasers are somewhat less effective. then with lighter skin tones. Plucking the hair is not only unecessary prior to hair removal treatments, but, it is also counterproductive to the laser hair removal procedure as you are removing part of the target the laser is trying to destroy. All that is required is a shave before your treamtments to get the best results.
Posted by Dr. Philip Schoenfeld