Do lasers work on skin that is tanned?
When UVA rays penetrate to the lower layers of the epidermis they trigger cells to produce melanin — the brown pigment that causes tanning. The laser is attracted to melanin. We make sure the skin is cooled effectively to avoid traumatizing the damaged (tanned) skin, but the energy of the laser must be reduced so it only acts on the pigment in the hair, not the skin. Therefore a client with a tan may require more treatments than someone without a tan. For a more effective and aggressive treatment it would be better not have a tan. We use our Nd:YAG laser for tanned or dark skin.
