Laser hair removal has become the treatment of choice for the removal of unwanted hair. The most commonly used lasers include diode (800 nm), alexandrite (795 nm), and neodymium: yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd: YAG) laser (1064 nm).
Absorption by melanin at 1064nm is lower than at shorter wavelengths but is still sufficient to permit selective photothermolysis of the pigmented hair follicle with permanent destruction This reduces the thermal damage to the surrounding epidermis, making Nd: YAG laser the safestoption in dark-skinned patients.
Distinctive axillary odours emanate, when a large and permanent population of microorganisms thrives on secretions from eccrine, apocrine and sebaceous glands. Resident axillary microbiota consists mainly of bacteria of the genera Staphylococcus, Micrococcus, Corynebacterium and Propionibacterium. In females, Staphylococci predominate over Corynebacteria. The use of laser radiation, even with the aim of hair removal, can alter the microbial flora and it can be accompanied by alteration of the smell of sweat. The duration of this antimicrobial effect is undetermined, and so are the accompanying skin changes such as sweat odour and amount.