Know Your Hair Removal Lasers
11 December 2007Types of Laser Hair Removal Systems As the popularity of laser hair treatment has grown, so too has the number of laser manufacturers. The market is growing so quickly that the...
Who is a candidate for laser hair removal? Both men and women seek laser hair removal services to have unwanted hair removed. Hair removal is commonly done on the hairline, eyebrow, t...
How do hair removal lasers even work?
Lasers designed for hair removal produce beams of highly concentrated light that are attracted to the melanin, or dark pigment, of the hair. When your laser technician presses the hand-held laser device to your skin and activates it, the laser light safely penetrates the skin and heads for the hair follicle, where it is absorbed by its target—the melanin. This produces an intense heat that damages the hair follicle and inhibits future hair growth within that follicle, without causing damage to the surrounding tissue.
Let’s drive the point home: We all prefer to wear light colors in the summer to keep cool, right? Before developing such a strategy, we may have learned the hard way what it’s like to wear a black t-shirt on a bright, sunny summer day…it’s hot! The same thing is at play with laser hair removal—the laser light is attracted to, and produces heat within, the dark pigment of the hair.
The Lasers
There are four types of lasers currently on the market for hair removal: Ruby, Alexandrite, Diode, and Nd:YAG. Some clinics also offer a non-laser light source option. Let’s take a closer look at these devices.
Taking a Step Back: The Lasers of Yore
Available since the mid-1960s as a potential unwanted hair solution, lasers have long been piquing the interest of many, but until the late-1990s, they’d unfortunately satisfied few. Early devices were often hurriedly brought to market with very limited clinical studies or testing for effectiveness, so patients rarely saw much, if any, reduction in hair.
Luckily, research advanced in the late 1990s, the FDA stepped in with smarter regulations, and overall methodology and thinking about laser hair removal has improved, with much success.
Fast forwarding to today, you’ll find that there are still some laser hair removal clinics that use what is widely considered to be an antiquated laser device: the Ruby. This laser is simply not as sophisticated as other lasers, and is only safe for very pale skin. With its ability to pinpoint smaller treatment areas, the Ruby does still have its place in the hair laser lineup, but it’s just rarely recommended.
What the pros are using now
Most laser hair removal enthusiasts consider the best lasers to be the Alexandrite, Diode, and Nd:YAG lasers. If you have the “ideal” skin and hair combination for laser hair removal, then the Alexandrite is probably your match—it is very effective when the skin is light and the hair is dark. The Diode has a longer wavelength, allowing it to treat a greater variety of skin types—typically Fitzpatrick skin types I-IV (those with light to semi-dark skin). And if you have dark or black skin, the Nd:YAG is designed to be safe and effective for you.
Anything to be worried about?
Hair removal lasers are designed to safely penetrate the skin and heat the hair follicles without damaging surrounding tissue. However, if in the hands of someone without adequate training or experience, there could be a chance of overheating and damaging the skin. Be sure you choose a laser technician with ample training and plenty of experience.
There is also a potential for the laser beam to heat and harm your retina, so during each of your treatments, both you and your technician should wear eye protection.
What things should I consider when finding a laser hair removal center near me? The clinic: Make sure that you go in for a "free" consultation to see if you are happy with the way the clinic looks and feels (clean, up-to...
Face Hair Removal with laser hair treatment Both men and women can benefit from laser hair removal for various areas of the face. Women: unwanted facial hair can be a huge source of...
Laser Hair Removal and African American Skin In the last few years, major improvements have been made to laser hair removal technology, debunking the idea that laser hair removal either...
Brace Yourself — This Might Sting a Little What Most Say Laser Hair Removal Feels Like What IS pain? How does one define this elusive term? ...Ah, yes, the question of whether or ...
Bikini Line Hair Removal The bikini line is one of the most popular areas for laser hair removal today. As we all know, there are new trends in personal grooming, an...
What are the brand names of some types of lasers out there? 1. Alexandrite: GentleLASE, Apogee, EpiTouch Plus 2. Diode: LightSheer, SLP 1000, F1 Diode, MeDioStar, LaserLite, Epistar, Apex 800, Come...
Laser Hair Removal: The Nd YAG Laser Hair Removal Option
No tag for this post.