Laser hair removal targets the pigment in the hair follicle: light is absorbed, converted to heat, and damages the structure that produces the hair. That mechanism explains both what the method does well and where it stops. Dark hair absorbs well. Grey, white and very fine blond hair largely does not, and no laser reliably removes what it cannot see.
It is also a course, not an appointment. Hair grows in cycles, and only follicles in the active growth phase respond to a given session — which is why sessions are spaced weeks apart and why a single treatment cannot clear an area.
A study of 948 patients across 3,606 treatments with an alexandrite laser reported an average of 5.31 sessions and clearance of 75 to 100% in 74% of cases by physician assessment. Patient assessment of the same results was lower, at 48% — a gap worth knowing about before you start, because it says something about how expectations and outcomes diverge. Response also differed by area: after three sessions, underarms cleared best at around 90%, bikini 82%, legs 79%, face 66%, and chest and abdomen 62%.
The honest framing is long-term reduction rather than permanent removal. Maintenance sessions are usually part of the plan, and hormonal changes can bring hair back in treated areas.
MED YU MED runs the Deka Motus AX, which delivers a single wavelength — 755 nm alexandrite — through a moving handpiece. That matters for expectation-setting: alexandrite is well suited to lighter and medium skin tones with dark hair, and darker or recently tanned skin needs careful assessment and conservative settings because more melanin in the skin competes with the melanin in the follicle. If your skin tone or hair colour is not a good match for this wavelength, the appropriate answer is to say so at the consultation rather than to sell a course.
Expect redness and small bumps around the follicles for a few hours after a session. Less commonly: blistering, crusting, and temporary changes in skin pigment — darkening or lightening — which are more likely on darker skin and after sun exposure. Rarely, burns, scarring or paradoxical hair growth in the treated area. Eye protection is worn during treatment by both patient and operator.
Do not wax, pluck or thread the area between sessions — the follicle has to be present for the laser to work; shaving is fine. Avoid sun exposure and self-tanning products before and between sessions, and use daily SPF on treated areas. Treatment is postponed on freshly tanned skin, over active infection or herpes in the area, during pregnancy, after a recent isotretinoin course until a doctor clears it, and where photosensitising medication is being taken.
Call 998 — the UAE ambulance number, free and available 24 hours — or go to the nearest emergency department if you develop difficulty breathing, swelling of the face, lips or tongue, or a spreading rash. Seek assessment the same day if the treated skin blisters, turns white or leathery, or if pain increases rather than settling. Contact the clinic during opening hours if redness lasts longer than expected, if the skin darkens as it heals, or if crusts form.
A consultation checks skin type, hair colour and thickness, recent sun exposure, medication and any hormonal condition that drives hair growth — because if the cause is hormonal, treating the hair without addressing the cause produces disappointing results. A patch test may be advised before a full session.
Laser hair removal is a medical procedure with contraindications and possible side effects, listed on the treatment page along with current prices. Final suitability is determined by a clinician at an in-person assessment at MED YU MED, Bluewaters Island, Dubai.
