Melanin, which is the main component of hair, absorbs laser of a specific wavelength. The laser has enough energy to selectively remove the target area before it produces heat, and thus does not burn surrounding tissues. This is the main principle of laser hair removal. For long-term hair removal, the epidermis should be preserved while the hair follicles within the dermis are destroyed. These areas are located deep in the skin, so it requires significant amount of energy to destroy these. For this, a laser with long wavelength and long pulse is required to deliver sufficient energy deep inside the skin. Long pulse laser has a long wavelength of 1064nm, and is used for the blood vessels and hair removal.
The 755nm long pulsed wavelength also allows penetration deep into the skin to destroy the hair follicles and hair matrix. Long pulse laser has minimal effect on the skin surface, so can safely be used to remove hair without causing burns, even in darker skinned people who are at higher risk of laser burns.
