Question: I have blond hair and my plastic surgeon told me I was not a good candidate for laser hair removal. Why are patients with light colored hair not recommended for laser hair removal?
Answer: Most laser hair removal systems target the pigment that is in the hair and they heat this pigment up which then destroys some of the cells that help create the hair itself. This therefore reduces or removes the hair and gives us the result that we desire. When patients have blond hair, there is very little, if any, pigment in the actual hair for which the laser can target. There are; however, other lasers such as the YAG laser which can treat the vascular supply to the hair and these can be frequently very effective at reducing blond hair, but ultimately require more treatments. I would suggest you seek out a very experienced facility so that you ultimately can discuss the limitations and advantages of the different laser hair removal systems.