A clinical overview of hair removal using lasers and light sources

The tremendous demand for removal of unwanted hair has led to the developme nt of a wide range of noninvasive, user-friendly laser and light source sys tems; however, despite considerable advances in this field, these devices s till have the potential to cause injury when used improperly. It is importa nt to follow precise treatment guidelines in order to attain optimal result s. This article gives an overview of the currently available lasers and lig ht sources. It focuses on the practical aspect of laser hair removal by dis cussing patient selection, safety precautions, techniques using the differe nt systems, pre- and post-laser treatment care, proper treatment endpoints, expected outcome, and possible side-effects and complications.