A handheld device for removing hairs has a light source such as a laser 66 for delivering a beam of radiation to the skin, a means 60 for detecting the reflectivity of the skin, and a controller which adjusts the amount of energy emitted by the light source to increase the amount of light delivered to locations of higher absorption such as hair follicles or roots. The detector may be sensitive to the reflected portion of the treatment beam and may be an image detector which outputs a 2D image of the skin. More light energy is delivered to areas of lower albedo by increasing the duty cycle of the light source. Also disclosed is an arrangement for modulating the light energy according to the speed with which the device is moved across the skin, and a device having both shaving and epilating modes.
