One of the most effective methods of permanently removing hair is through the use of laser technology - a technique which
literally destroys the hair follicles by heating them to a temperature which kills them. The equipment used for this form
of permanent epilation must meet certain requirements and be adjusted to the proper settings, or the effects will be
either too weak - with hair regrowth beginning several months after treatment - or too strong - causing permanent damage
to the skin itself.

In order to understand what "aesthetic laser equipment" is suitable for hair removal, it is necessary to understand the
basics of how laser epilation works. The laser energy is absorbed as heat by the hair at a faster rate than the
surrounding skin, which tends to reflect the concentrated light instead. The individual hairs heat rapidly when the laser
is directed at them, which damages the follicles and makes them less able to produce hair. Multiple treatments will
eventually kill or shut down the follicles completely, thus resulting in permanent hair removal. This method works best on
dark or coarse hair, since fine, pale hairs tend not to absorb heat as well.

The equipment used must produce a laser beam of the proper size, pulse rate, and wavelength in order to be effective and
avoid the risk of damaging the skin. Ruby lasers are generally avoided because they can permanently lighten or darken the
skin color. Alexandrite lasers are preferred for light skin colors, and tend to be highly effective. Pulsed diode array
lasers are best suited to medium-toned skin, while those with dark skin should use Nd:YAG lasers, which are less effective
but will not burn the melanin in darker skin tones.

The laser's "spot size," or the width of the beam on the target skin, is also crucial. The spot size ranges from 8 mm to
18 mm in most 'aesthetic lasers,' with the larger spot sizes being generally more effective but requiring more skill and
care to use, and therefore being better suited to professionally-trained rather than home users.

Large, professional-grade hair removal lasers may cost anywhere from $35,000 to $100,000 new, and somewhat less used - but
fortunately, recent years have seen the marketing of smaller and even miniaturized version of epilation users for private
home use. The smaller home systems, which offer almost as much adjustment versatility as the professional-grade lasers,
can cost in the region of $3,000 to $5,000. These systems can be adjusted for a variety of "spot sizes," pulse rates, and
so on, to deal with different combinations of hair and skin color effectively.

The miniaturized hair removal lasers some companies now offer are handheld models no larger than a small hair-dryer, and
may cost as little as $800. Thanks to stringent FDA regulations, they are generally safe to use. They do not offer the
full range of adjustments that more expensive lasers do, so treatments may require longer, but their low price and the
ability to use them easily for removing any type of hair in the privacy of one's own home counterbalance this downside. In
short, the advance of modern technology has put a range of options for laser hair removal within the reach of most
consumers and lessened the need for the hair removal middleman.