What Is Laser Light and How Does It Work?

Ania Sousa
Oct 13
3 min read

Light surrounds us, from the warm glow of sunlight to the flicker of a candle. But when it comes to laser light, something extraordinary happens. Unlike regular light, a laser isn’t just bright, it’s precise, powerful, and scientifically designed to interact with the skin in very specific ways.

At Bloom & Beam Laser Studio, understanding how light works isn’t just about operating equipment, it’s about using science safely and effectively to support real skin transformation.

Light 101: The Science Behind Every Beam

All light is made up of tiny energy particles called photons. These photons travel as waves and form what’s known as the electromagnetic spectrum, a vast range of energy that includes everything from radio waves to visible light and ultraviolet radiation.

Only a small slice of that spectrum is visible to our eyes, roughly between 400 and 750 nanometers.

Within that range:

Blue light sits around 488 nm,
Green light at 532 nm,
Yellow around 577 nm,
Orange near 590 nm,
And deep red at 694 nm

Cosmetic lasers often operate beyond what we can see — in the infrared range (700–1200 nm) — where light penetrates deeper into the skin to reach structures like pigment, blood vessels, or hair follicles.

From Atoms to Energy: How Lasers Are Born

Here’s the fascinating part, a laser beam begins at the atomic level.

Inside every laser system, energy excites electrons in atoms, moving them into a higher energy state. When those electrons fall back to their normal level, they release photons, bursts of light with a very specific energy and wavelength.

When this happens under controlled conditions, photons line up and move together, perfectly synchronized in wavelength, direction, and phase. That’s what turns random light into a laser:

L.A.S.E.R. = Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation

This process creates a population inversion, where more atoms are in an excited state than at rest and a chain reaction begins. Light bounces between mirrors inside the machine until enough energy builds to escape as a concentrated beam.

The Four Characteristics That Make Lasers Unique

Laser light has four properties that make it fundamentally different from normal light:

Monochromatic – A single wavelength (or color), allowing precise targeting.
Coherent – All light waves move in perfect sync, maximizing energy focus.
Collimated – The beam travels in parallel lines without spreading out.
High Optical Energy – Power and pulse duration are finely controlled for results without damaging nearby tissue

This precision is why lasers can selectively target melanin, water, or hemoglobin, the skin’s key chromophores to fade pigmentation, remove hair, or stimulate collagen, all without harming surrounding cells.

How Lasers Interact with Skin

Once the laser beam reaches the skin, it can do four things:

Absorption – The target chromophore (like melanin or blood) absorbs the light’s energy.
Reflection – A small amount bounces off the surface (about 4–6%).
Transmission – Some light passes through the skin layers.
Scattering – The rest disperses in multiple directions, reducing energy concentration at depth

The goal in every treatment is to maximize absorption at the right depth and minimize scatter, something only possible when the wavelength, pulse, and fluence (energy density) are precisely controlled.

Why Understanding Light Matters

Every skin condition — from pigment and redness to tattoo ink — responds to a specific wavelength.

Shorter wavelengths target surface issues.
Longer wavelengths reach deeper structures like hair follicles or vascular lesions.

That’s why no single laser can treat everything and why education, calibration, and experience are essential to safety and results.

At Bloom & Beam, this science is the foundation of everything being built, combining advanced technology with education-driven care to deliver precise, informed, and safe skin solutions.

Learn the Science Behind the Glow

Follow along as Bloom & Beam prepares to open — where every treatment is grounded in light, learning, and letting your skin bloom again.