Page 28 - Chapter 3 - Fundamentals of Laser/IPL Hair Removal
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Chapter 3 – Fundamentals of Laser/IPL Hair Removal 1st Edition
Adopting the same numbering system as Fitzpatrick allows us to make more sense of the scaling. A ‘Skin Colour’ of 1 (SC1) relates to a very pale colouring, with up to 10% concentration of melanin. This will mostly be found in the basal layer.
Figure 3 - Dark and light-coloured skin and hair can vary enormously!
Once we get to black skin (Afro- Caribbean) the melanin concentration can easily be up to 4 to 9 times greater than in the palest skin colours, with much of the melanin found in the full thickness epidermis. This has significant effects on both the optical and thermal properties of the skin, making SC6 very susceptible to thermal damage and scarring.
Figure 3a – Light and dark skin colours
As the ‘colour’ darkens (SC2 to SC5), the melanin concentration increases. Histological studies also show that more melanin may be found outside of the basal layer, as it migrates towards the skin surface (see Figure 3a above).
________________________________________________________________________ 28 Chapter 3 Laser/IPL Hair Removal
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