Beauty and Laser Treatments

A walk down any Asian high street and you will be startled by the number of beauticians offering laser hair removal promising to vanish those unsightly hairs forever.

Skin specialist Dr Gupta at The Private Clinic, Manchester.

But when you’ve got dark skin it is an important factor to consider when shopping for laser hair removal treatments.

Lasers target dark hair which is much easier to see on a person with light skin colour compared to individuals who have darker skin tones making darker skin often more difficult to treat than lighter skin types.

This is due to the higher content of melanin in the skin, which means the light – whether coming from the sun or an artificial light or laser technology – is absorbed more quickly by the body, resulting in higher risks of burns and of hyper pigmentation.

But as science and technology has progressed other lasers have been developed to target hair on people with darker skin by directing energy to the root of the hair rather than on the skin surface.

One such place offering treatment for women with olive to dark skin tones is the Private Clinic in Manchester.

Dr Puneet Gupta, the skin doctor at The Private Clinic and a specialist in laser treatment advises women should do their necessary research before going for treatment.

“With darker skin the pigmentation has to be considered before taking any action, that’s because the melanin pigment on the surface of the skin absorbs the light so it can actually steal the laser light from getting beneath the epidermis to the real problem area.

“Over the years there’s been a huge demand from Asian women who want to try laser hair removal and we are now specialising in treating women with darker skin so that they can get real results.

“We don’t promise permanent hair removal but certainly a reduction of hair.”

Dr Gupta, who is one of the most sought after skin doctors in the country and a cosmetic dermatologist on Channel 4′s Embarrassing Bodies, has also been producing impressive results with the very latest skin resurfacing treatment with the Pixel Laser.

Dark skins are more prone to scarring – especially if the patient has suffered from severe acne – and hyper-pigmentation, which means uneven skin colour mostly on the face.

The Pixel Laser is the latest laser technology to reduce the appearance of scars and deep pigmentation.

Unlike other laser treatments where the whole of the selected target area is damaged, the Pixel Laser only treats small areas, leaving surrounding tissue untouched and intact. These large unaffected areas act as a reservoir for more effective and rapid tissue healing and collagen production. This stimulates the growth of new, healthy skin tissue.

Said Dr Gupta: “I’ve had clients contacting me from India to have this treatment. It works well for acne, scarring or just to refresh your skin.

“Women with dark skin who have tried the chemical peel have come to me because the treatment did not work well on their skin.

“Darker skin has higher pigmentation and procedures like the chemical peel can leave the skin with hyper pigmentation.

“My clients can’t believe that laser treatment can make such a difference and that it works on their skin.”

He added: “When clients contact me, I try an make them understand the treatment, I tell them to go away and do their own research and then contact me if they need further information. I want them to feel confident in their treatment.

“I make sure they have the right treatment suitable for them and their skin types.”