The ruby laser was the first type of laser to be introduced for use in laser hair removal. Its deep red laser light color at a wavelength of 694nm is very well absorbed by the melanin pigment in hair follicles. This makes it an excellent choice for the removal of fine and light colored hair. However, because melanin is also present in the skin, the ruby laser cannot be used on those patients with darker colored skin, including tanned skin. The ruby laser light is readily absorbed by pigmented skin so using it in dark skiined people can lead to side effects including burning and blistering. Because of this limitation, the high power consumption of ruby lasers, slow repetition rate, and relatively small spot size over which the laser light can be applied to the skin, ruby lasers have become less popular for laser hair removal in recent years.

However, ruby lasers do have the best published documentation of results and the greatest success in removing hair in light skinned individuals. The following are some of the observation for ruby lasers: All patients will see a delay in the growth of their hair and the majority of patients will see a permanent reduction in hair growth. This laser is more effective for dark hair. Blonde and gray hairs are more resistant to removal with this laser and white hairs do not respond to treatment. While ruby lasers are not usually available in the average laser hair removal clinic, they are used by professional laser dermatology clinics, usually as one of several lasers types for use in treating various conditions – not just laser hair removal.