Laser treatments do work to remove the hair follicles so that you no longer have to shave your beard.  The problem is that it takes multiple treatments to get the entire beard.  Lasers only work on the hair that is growing at the time of the treatment, and this is why you have to return at least five times to get all of the unwanted hair.  If you have dark hair and fair skin you are a perfect candidate for laser treatment.  The laser is absorbed by dark, thick hair and reflected by light skin.  The result can be reached much more quickly if you have these characteristics.  If you hair is very fine, as with red or sometimes blond hair, and your skin is dark or tanned, the laser will not penetrate the hair well, and a smaller dosage of laser is used so that the skin does not get burned.