History of Laser Hair Removal

Laser hair removal is one of the most popular and sought after non-surgical cosmetic treatments performed in the United States. Permanent laser hair removal became commercially available in the 1990s, but laser hair removal was being performed experimentally 20 years before the first hair removal laser was approved by the FDA.

The First Wave of Lasers

Dermatologists first began to embrace laser technology in the 1960s and the hair removal industry soon followed. The first group of lasers used in dermatology did not translate to hair removal because they could only emit a continuous wave of light. The beam could not be controlled enough to eliminate hair without causing significant skin damage. This issue was solved with the development of Q-switch technology, which allowed the laser to be turned on and off to deliver quick pulses of energy.

The earliest lasers used for hair removal in the late 60s targeted individual hair follicles via a thin probe that delivered pulses of energy. These laser devices were rushed to market without testing for effectiveness and turned out to be difficult to use and very painful and tedious for patients. In the early 70s the FDA finally stepped in to prohibit the illegal marketing of early laser hair removal devices.

Laser Hair Removal in the 90s

Laser technology was successfully used by dermatologists for decades before the first epilation experiments began on humans in the early 1990s. In 1995 the FDA cleared the first laser designed specifically for laser hair removal -- the SoftLight Nd: YAG laser by Thermolase. The Thermolase laser was initially marketed illegally as a permanent hair removal solution. In two years time a study concluded that the laser offered only reduction in hair.

The same year the first FDA approved laser designed for hair removal was being exposed as fraud, the FDA approved two more lasers for hair removal use. These lasers targeted melanin in hair follicles, disabling hair in active growth phases.

Laser Hair Removal Today

Laser hair removal systems are getting better year to year. Not only are manufacturers producing more effective laser systems, they are also coming up with advances in technology that make the hair removal experience less painful for patients and easier on the physician or laser technician.