Patient Satisfaction and Complications Following Laser Hair Removal in Ethnic Skin
April 2012
in “
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
”
TLDR Most patients with dark skin were satisfied with laser hair removal and had few complications.
The study evaluated patient satisfaction and complications following long-pulsed Nd:YAG laser hair removal (LHR) in individuals with dark-complexioned skin, specifically those with Fitzpatrick skin type VI. Fifty patients, comprising 41 females and 9 males aged between 21-70 years, completed a survey after undergoing LHR. The results showed a high level of satisfaction, with a mean satisfaction score of 84.2 out of 100. Patients reported a preference for LHR over other hair removal methods, and 79.3% of those who had completed six or more treatments experienced less frequent hair removal than before. Complications were minimal, with only three patients (6%) experiencing temporary hyperpigmentation lasting 3-10 days. There were no reports of hypopigmentation, blistering, or scarring. The mean recommendation score was 91.5, indicating that all participants would recommend LHR to others with unwanted hair. Overall, Nd:YAG laser-assisted hair removal was found to be highly satisfactory with minimal complications in subjects of color.
