Steps by treatment

Can laser hair removal work on tanned skin?

A technician in safety glasses treats a woman's tanned forearm with a laser hair removal handpiece while both wear protective eyewear.

A tan changes the order of your preparation for laser hair removal. This page walks through the question step by step for readers in Dexter, Michigan.

The answer in one sentence

According to pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, the long-pulsed Nd:YAG laser remains the recommended choice in very dark individuals and tanned patients because of its longer wavelength.

So a tan does not end the conversation. It points you toward a specific laser type, and that is the first thing to confirm with a provider.

Where it falls in the sequence

Laser type comes before booking a session. A case series comparing intense pulsed light, alexandrite and long-pulsed Nd:YAG 1064 nm lasers for lower leg hair removal shows how those three options are set side by side. An overview of laser hair removal on aad.org gives the general picture before you read the comparisons.

What to gather

  • Whether your skin is currently tanned, and roughly how recently the tan developed.
  • The names of the laser types a provider offers.
  • The statement above, so you can ask whether their equipment matches it.

The next step

After you have confirmed the laser type, ask the provider how a tan is handled at the appointment itself. Write that answer down before the first session.