What is the best method for hair removal in Singapore?

Doctor's Answer

Photo of Dr Jonathan Lee
Dr Jonathan Lee

Aesthetic, Hand Surgeon

If you have been experiencing problems and irritation with temporary hair removal methods such as waxing, and/or you are looking for a permanent hair removal solution, several clinically proven methods are available.

There are several important considerations when choosing the best method of hair removal for you. These include (1) your skin color, (2) the color of the hair you want to remove, (3) cost and frequency of treatments required. When assessing whether a treatment is right for you, ask whether it is safe for your skin type, how effective the treatment is (ie. how many repeat treatments required), and how much time each treatment takes.

(1) and (2):

Lasers and light based treatments (intense pulsed light, IPL, BBL) essentially work on the principle of selective photothermolysis, simply put - when the skin and hair are exposed to a high energy light (lasers or IPL), it is preferentially absorbed by the target pigment (in the hairs), heating it up. The intention is to heat up the hairs enough to remove them and reduce future growth, but without injuring the surrounding skin.

  • If you have light coloured skin and dark hairs (the best combination for effective permanent hair removal/reduction), most Laser or IPL systems will work well for you.

  • If you have tan skin and dark hairs, lasers have a greater margin of safety than IPL, and will accommodate a narrower difference between the hair colour and background skin colour. Even so, some hair removal lasers (e.g. long pulsed Nd-YAG lasers) are safer than others (e.g. Diode lasers) in tan or light brown skins.

  • If you are dark skinned and have dark hair, the risks of side effects from lasers/IPL treatments are much higher. This may still occasionally be treated with certain lasers like a long pulsed Nd-YAG, but must be assessed by an experienced doctor to see if you are suitable.

  • However, if you have light blond or white hairs, lasers and IPL treatments do not work as there is no target pigment chromophore to absorb heat energy. Electrolysis (which is not colour dependent) would be the best approach for light blond or white hairs.

(3) the area requiring hair removal is also sometimes a consideration. For example, for removing small areas of hair accurately (e.g., upper lip hair removal, shaping the forehead hairline or sideburn) lasers perform better as they have smaller spot sizes. On the other hand, covering large surface areas such as arms and thighs are more more time consuming with lasers, and IPL treatments for these areas can be completed more efficiently, in suitable cases.

Best Regards,

Dr. Jonathan Lee

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