What are the three chromophores in hair removal context?

• A. Melanin, water, blood
• B. Water, oxygen, melanin
• C. Melanin, blood, keratin
• D. Keratin, fat, water

Answer: (A)

In laser hair removal, chromophores are the substances in tissue that absorb the laser light and convert it to heat to affect the hair follicle. The three main absorbers you’ll rely on are melanin in the hair shaft, water in the surrounding skin tissue, and hemoglobin in the blood inside nearby vessels. Melanin drives selective targeting of darker hair, water is present throughout tissue and influences how energy penetrates and heats, and blood (hemoglobin) can absorb certain wavelengths and affect how energy is distributed. The other options include molecules like oxygen, keratin, or fat, which aren’t the primary absorbers for common hair-removal wavelengths. So the best answer is melanin, water, and blood.