Laser hair removal for men

What's clinically different

Androgens drive terminal hair on the beard, chest and back, so follicles tend to be larger, deeper and more densely packed. Coarse hair holds heat for longer, and dense hair builds up heat across an area. Large areas mean a lot of total energy in one session, so work in sections and check the skin between them. In men, the trunk is the most common site for melanoma, so examine and photograph the whole area before you start.

Ask what they actually want

Many male clients want less hair, a tidier line or one problem solved, not total clearance. Reduction, shaping and fewer ingrown hairs are three different treatment plans, and reduction is a legitimate endpoint.

Shaping a beard or neckline

A lasered line won't simply grow back if the client changes their mind, so treat every line as a long-term decision. Mark the line with the client, photograph it and get written agreement before the first pulse. Stay inside the agreed line at first, and be honest that laser gives a softened edge, not a barber's crisp line.

Razor bumps (pseudofolliculitis barbae)

Razor bumps happen when curved hairs, cut to a sharp tip, pierce the skin and trigger inflammation. They're far more common with tightly curled hair, and studies report them in roughly half or more of Black men who shave. Reviews describe laser hair removal as a useful option, and the 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser is generally preferred for darker skin. None of this sets your parameters, which come from your device's instructions, your training and your insurer.

Stay in scope. "Reducing the hair usually reduces the ingrown hairs, because the hair is what's causing them" is accurate. "I can treat your PFB" is a medical claim. Don't treat inflamed or infected skin, and refer marked scarring, keloids or widespread pustules to a doctor.

Backs, shoulders and chests

Watch the build-up of heat, check your cooling partway through long sessions, re-ask about sun exposure every session and agree who's shaving. Never treat over tattoo ink, keep the margin your device specifies, and refer any mole or lesion you can't confidently identify to a GP. Warn about laser-induced folliculitis and paradoxical hair growth, which has been reported on male backs, shoulders and upper arms.

Learn this properly

Our Male Treatments masterclass covers male hair and goals, beard shaping, razor bumps and scope, related conditions, large-area treatment and the consultation and retention habits that turn one session into a completed course.

14-minute video masterclass, 5-question quiz and a certificate of completion. £25.