The FDA approved hair removal lasers for use in 1997 and since then it has become a routine and popular procedure. Experience of the machine operator and the type of laser used all factor in to the end result. Laser hair removal is now commonplace in the dermatology arena and the safety along with the efficacy is widely published in their literature.
Hair removal lasers selectively target Melanin which is what gives hair and skin its color. There are two types of melanin … “eumelanin” which give hair a brown or black color and “pheomelanin” which gives hair a red or blonde color. With the selective absorption of photons of laser light, only black or brown hair can be removed with a hair removal laser. Hair removal Lasers work best with dark coarse hair. Light skin and dark hair is the best combo, but new lasers are coming on the market to target dark black hair even in patients with dark skin.
Most hair removal is done on the lip, chin, shoulders, back, underarm, abdomen, buttocks, pubic area, bikini lines, thighs, face, neck, cleavage, chest, arms, legs, hands, and toes. It seems that both women and seek laser hair removal treatment to have their unwanted hair removed.
The number of sessions for successful hair removal depends on various things, including the area of the body treated, skin color, coarseness of hair. Coarse dark hair on light skin is easiest to treat. Finer hair and hair on darker skin is harder to treat and may need many more treatments. The face may require more treatments to achieve desired results. Hair removal usually requires several treatments … maybe even up to 12 sessions and it seems that the hair may still grow back, but probably lighter in color and thinner. Sessions are usually spaced 4-8 weeks apart. Since hair grows in several phases, and laser can only affect the currently active growing follicles, several sessions are needed to kill hair in all phases of growth.
Several wavelengths of laser energy have been used for hair removal … from visible light to almost infrared and the pulse width is an important consideration. The longer pulse widths may be safer for darker skin, but shorter wavelengths may be more effective in removing the actual hair.
The width of the laser beam may also affect the laser hair removal treatment. The ideal beam is about four times as wide as the target is deep. Hair removal lasers have a round spot about the size of your little finger. The energy level of the laser is critical in the laser hair removal treatment … with the goal of a high enough setting so as to cause permanent damage to the hair follicles. This, in addition to the pulsing repetition will improve the likelihood of success of the treatment.
Types of Hair Removal Lasers:
• The Ruby Laser is the oldest type of hair removal laser and works best for fine and light hair. The Ruby Laser cannot be used on patients with darker skin, including people with tanned skin. This and other factors, such as the relatively small area that they cover, have made Ruby lasers increasingly less popular for laser hair removal in recent years.
• The Alexandrite Laser is the fastest of the laser types and is good for treating large body areas in patients with light-to-olive complexion. This is one of the most widely used lasers for hair removal.
• The Diode Laser is most effective for darker skin types and is less effective on lighter, finer hair. It covers large areas and has fast repetition rates, allowing brisk treatment of large body areas.
• The long pulse Nd:Yag laser can be safely used in all skin types, including tanned patients. Large coverage areas and fast repetition rates allow large areas to be treated quickly. That said, patients who use this laser report more discomfort during treatment. It is also less effective for fine and light hair than other lasers.
• Intense Pulsed Light Devices are not lasers, but are “laser equivalents” in the sense that they use the same concept of selective photothermolysis to accomplish hair removal. IPL devices are more difficult to use than lasers and require a very skilled and experiences technician to operate.
Laser hair removal may be somewhat uncomfortable. As with anything, the pain or discomfort you feel may be different from others who have had the procedure. That said, most people tolerate laser hair removal very well.
At first, you will likely feel a slight stinging sensation, indicating that the laser has been activated. The treatment involves a series of impulses that cause prickling and a slight burning sensation. Keeping the skin cool is an important factor to reducing pain …if you can keep the skin comfortably cool, pain is reduced.
Types of cooling:
• Chilled clear gel
• Contact cooling
• Cryogen spray used prior to or right after the laser pulse
• A Cryo unit with forced cold air at -34 degrees C
The risks associated with laser hair removal include:
• Darkened or lightened skin, particularly among patients who have darker complexions.
• Blistering, scarring, crusting, scabbing, or, in rare cases, skin texture changes.
• The growth of new hair that has a finer texture and lighter color than adjacent, untreated areas.
To date, laser hair removal is still not considered permanent, but it may be long term. Everyone, it seems, has a slightly different result.
Best Laser Treatments on laser hair removal ... Dr. Laser
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