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Introduction ;
Epilation by laser was performed experimentally for about 20 years before it became commercially available in the mid 1970s. Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) epilators, though technically not a laser, use xenon flash lamps that emit full spectrum light. Laser and light-based methods, sometimes called phototricholysis or photoepilation, are now most commonly referred to collectively as "laser hair removal". One of the first published articles describing laser hair removal was authored by the group at Massachusetts General Hospital in 1998.
The efficacy of laser hair removal is now generally accepted in the dermatology community, and laser hair removal is widely practiced. Many reviews of laser hair removal methods, safety, and efficacy have been published in the dermatology literature..
Laser parameters that affect results ;
Several wavelengths of laser energy have been used for hair removal, from visible light to near-infrared radiation. These lasers are usually defined by the lasing medium used to create the wavelength (measured in nanometers (nm)):
| Argon: 488 nm (DeepSkyBlue) or 514.5 nm (Cyan) (no longer used for hair removal) |
| Ruby laser: 694.3 nm (OrangeRed) (no longer used for hair removal; only safe for patients with very pale skin) |
| Alexandrite: 755 nm (Red) (most effective on pale skin and not safe on darker skin at effective settings) |
| Pulsed diode array: 810 nm (Near-Infrared) (for pale to medium type skin) |
| Nd:YAG laser: 1064 nm (Near-Infrared) (made for treating darker skin types, though effective on all skin types) |
Pulse width is an important consideration. Longer pulse widths may be safer for darker skin, but shorter pulsewidths are more effective in disabling hair follicles.Repetition rate is believed to have a cumulative effect, based on the concept of thermal relaxation time.Shooting two or three pulses at the same target with a specific delay between pulses can cause a slight improvement in the heating of an area. This may increase the "kill rate" for each treatment.
Spot size, or the width of the laser beam, affects treatment. Theoretically, the width of the ideal beam is about four times as wide as the target is deep. Hair removal lasers have a spot size about the size of a fingertip (8-18mm). Larger spot sizes help laser light penetrate deeper and make treatments faster and more effective.
Fluence or energy level is another important consideration. Fluence is measured in joules per square centimeter (J/cm²). It's important to get treated at high enough settings to heat up the follicles enough to disable them from producing hair.
Epidermal cooling has been determined to allow higher fluences and reduce pain and side effects, especially in darker skin. Three types of cooling have been developed:
* Contact cooling: through a window cooled by circulating water or other internal coolant
* Cryogen spray: Sprayed directly onto the skin immediately before and/or after the laser pulse
* Air cooling: forced cold air at -34 degrees C (Zimmer Cryo 5 unit)
Spot size, or the width of the laser beam, affects treatment. Theoretically, the width of the ideal beam is about four times as wide as the target is deep. Hair removal lasers have a spot size about the size of a fingertip (8-18mm). Larger spot sizes help laser light penetrate deeper and make treatments faster and more effective.
Fluence or energy level is another important consideration. Fluence is measured in joules per square centimeter (J/cm²). It's important to get treated at high enough settings to heat up the follicles enough to disable them from producing hair.
Epidermal cooling has been determined to allow higher fluences and reduce pain and side effects, especially in darker skin. Three types of cooling have been developed:
* Contact cooling: through a window cooled by circulating water or other internal coolant
* Cryogen spray: Sprayed directly onto the skin immediately before and/or after the laser pulse
* Air cooling: forced cold air at -34 degrees C (Zimmer Cryo 5 unit)
Simple Words ;
1. Laser hair removal is not a painless treatment. You will feel the light burn your hair follicles, and while this is not always the case, you may need to take pain relievers.
2. You should aim for safety rather than for a permanent solution to ridding unwanted hair. Too much laser treatment can result in skin scarring.
3. You need to be aware that your unwanted hair can grow back again. Once again, laser removal is not a permanent solution.
4. Laser hair removal is way different from hair removal using electrolysis. If you are considering both procedures to get rid of unwanted hair, you should analyze both their advantages and disadvantages.
5. Whatever choice you make about how to rid yourself of unwanted hair, you should seek the advice of a qualified dermatologist.
Resource ;
Wikipedia.Org
2. You should aim for safety rather than for a permanent solution to ridding unwanted hair. Too much laser treatment can result in skin scarring.
3. You need to be aware that your unwanted hair can grow back again. Once again, laser removal is not a permanent solution.
4. Laser hair removal is way different from hair removal using electrolysis. If you are considering both procedures to get rid of unwanted hair, you should analyze both their advantages and disadvantages.
5. Whatever choice you make about how to rid yourself of unwanted hair, you should seek the advice of a qualified dermatologist.
Resource ;
Wikipedia.Org
