Laser Hair Removal For Red Or Ginger Hair – Does It Work?

Laser Hair Removal On Red & Ginger Hair

What are your options when in comes to managing your hair? Does laser hair removal work on red and ginger hair?.

Having red or ginger hair means you stand out in the crowd a lot, which is a great thing if you have beautiful strawberry blonde hair or flowing copper locks. All redhead shades are now very popular for people when they want to dye their hair.

However, what about the people who have natural red hair and have to deal with the day to day management?

Noticeable

Red and ginger body hair is just as noticeable as a full head of hair, which is the total opposite of what people want when it comes to body hair. Even if a little bit of leg hair is growing, you will be able to see it easily.

This makes hair removal very tiresome and complicated for people with red or ginger hair and constantly shaving or waxing every week can cause irritation, making your skin almost as red as your hair.

 

How the laser works with red and ginger hair

Laser hair removal works by targeting the melanin in the hair,. (This is the dark pigment that makes skin and hair a deeper colour). Some people have more of this pigment than others, hence why some people have darker skin than others.

During the treatment, once the laser has locked onto the pigment, the laser beam permanently destroys the hair follicle which means hair growth is unlikely in the future.

The problem with red and ginger hair is the fact that lasers have difficulty determining between pigments, red being one of the most difficult to see.

The same goes for grey hair which is another difficult colour for the laser to spot.

Myths

There have been many myths that redheads or ginger haired people can’t have laser hair removal treatments because the hair itself is too light.

• can i dye my hair?

Before you wonder, there is no point in dying your hair, because it’s colouring the surface of the follicle, not actually changing the colour which is down to your genetics.

• combining treatments?

This is a problem which has been circulating for quite a while in different clinics. However, with improved technology and methods, such as combining laser and radio waves, this will work better on the hair follicles, then making it easier to get rid of.

• laser and radio waves

To solve the issue with treating red hair, some clinics combine laser and radio waves which are thought to better target the melanin in the hair itself. It also works better on the follicle.

• more expensive & more sessions

However, the cost of this combination treatment will often be higher than for regular removal of hair by laser hair removal methods. Also, if you have red hair and are using this method of hair removal then you will need more sessions under the laser to make it effective.

Tips & consultation advice

Here are some tips for red hair laser hair removal.

• • Laser hair removal for red hair is more difficult then treating someone with darker hair as described above.
  • Good results with improving laser hair removal London technology are possible.
  • Make sure to book a consultation and receive a FREE patch test in order to find out if laser hair removal would be effective for you as everyone is unique.
  • Before your laser hair removal treatment, try not to wax, pluck or tweeze hair for at least four weeks – shaving is allowed.
  • The hair must be present in the follicle for the treatment to work.
  • Remember, after hair removal, you may feel as if you can see hair growing. This isn’t the case, this only happens because your hair is shedding in that particular area after the treatment.
  • Whatever you do, don’t forget about sun cream. Yes, even during winter weather but with red heads having very pale skin, you are more likely to experience skin irritation. Make sure you use SPF 30 and higher on your skin daily if you are showing your arms and legs. This is especially important for your face.

Next Steps if you live in London

To discover other facts before considering laser hair removal, if you live in London near one of our 9 laser clinics, you are more than welcome to book a FREE consultation with a specialist so you can learn more about your particular hair colour and how we can make the treatment more effective for you.