Abstract
Current options for hair removal include shaving, epilation, depilatories, electrolysis, and, more efficiently, lasers. Lasers are fast, safe, and effective when used appropriately. Selective photothermolysis is the key concept in laser hair removal. By varying specific parameters such as wavelength, pulse duration, and fluence, certain specific chromophores may be targeted while protecting other tissues. Melanin is the main endogenous chromophore in hair follicles. In permanent hair reduction, heat from the laser must spread from the hair shaft to the bulb and the bulge of the hair. Adverse effects reported after laser‐assisted hair removal including erythema, perifollicular edema, crusting, vesiculation, hypopigmentation, and hyperpigmentation.
