Question: I have been tanning in preparation for a trip to Aruba. I would like to have laser hair removal at my bikini line. Does tanning affect this type of hair removal at all?
Answer: If the area that you require hair removal has a tan, this will affect our ability to treat the hair. Essentially, the laser that is used for hair removal targets the dark pigment in hair, and if you have a significant amount of pigment in the skin, then we get concerned that we may injure your skin during the laser hair removal, and we therefore have to adjust the settings appropriately. If you are not tan in the area where the hair is present, then this really is not an issue, and we should be able to treat you very successfully with laser hair removal. Realize though, that for adequate hair reduction, a series of laser hair treatments (needs) to be performed approximately 1 to 2 months apart so that we can catch all of the hairs in their growth phase and provide excellent hair reduction long term.