What is the cosmetic procedure that uses a laser to remove hair?

The cosmetic procedure that uses a laser to remove hair is laser hair removal. It directs concentrated pulses of light at melanin in the hair, converting light energy into heat that damages the follicle and reduces future growth.

The method relies on selective photothermolysis: the laser is chosen to affect the hair pigment more than the surrounding skin. Because hair grows in cycles, one treatment cannot affect every follicle, so people usually need several sessions spaced weeks apart. Results are generally described as permanent hair reduction rather than guaranteed lifelong removal.

Laser hair removal became commercially available in the 1990s and received U.S. FDA approval for hair reduction in 1997. Dark, coarse hair usually responds best, while white, gray, and very light hair respond poorly because they contain little melanin. Shaving is different because it cuts hair at the skin surface, waxing pulls it out, and electrolysis uses an electrical current delivered into individual follicles.