Laser Hair Removal For People Of Color
Laser hair removal for people of color, especially Black and Brown folx, has been a topic in the skincare/beauty industry for years. At Tres Belle Spa we are proud to offer a NEW technology. A safer technology. A more effective technology. We are proud to offer Viora, the latest technology to serve our Black and Brown communities with laser hair removal safely and comfortably.
Even though laser hair removal has been offered since the early 80’s, innovations in technology were still lacking for POC. In 2004 when Tres Belle Spa first started treating unwanted hair, we had clients of color complain about the pain of laser hair removal. Being in the profession of helping clients feel relaxed and more confident, this was unacceptable to us. The reason these treatments hurt so much is because the common technology for laser hair removal on Black and Brown skin, sometimes referred to as a Yag filter, penetrates into the hemoglobin (yes, your blood) to find your hair follicle. This causes great discomfort in the veins and at times into the bone. On fair skin, the light penetrates directly into the hair shaft by finding the melanin in the hair. On POC, the laser can’t find the hair as, the hair and skin don’t contrast enough for it to be clearly seen. It is for this reason most POC experience pain in their veins and bones, because the hemoglobin is absorbing the light and heat. Melanin is highly sensitive to the absorption of all light spectrums.
In general practice, treating the skin of POC , often referred to as Fitzpatrick 5 and 6, should always be treated differently than Caucasian skin. Even in 2021, dermatology students learn and practice 90% of the time on “white” skin. While the Fitzpatrick scale still focuses on lighter skin types, it is helpful when preparing a piece of technology, like a laser, to a safe and effective setting.
THE DIFFERENCE: VIORA TECHNOLOGY AT TRES BELLE SPA