ARTICLE | LASERS AND LIGHTS |
LASERS AND LIGHT SOURCES
AN UPDATE ON
FOR THE REMOVAL OF UNWANTED HAIR
Lasers and light-based technologies are the mainstay
of non-surgical hair removal. Michael H. Gold reviews the history and literature pertaining to the use of these devices
ABSTRACT Hair removal with lasers and light sources has been a mainstay of aesthetic clinical practice for many years. Many devices have shown safety and efficacy over the past 15 years, to effectively remove unwanted hair. Over the past few years, new laser hair removal devices have become available, including newer diode laser hair removal devices, which are much faster and which work without the associated pain of some of the predecessor devices. These devices, along with new pulsed light devices, will also be reviewed in this update.
MICHAEL H. GOLD, MD, Tennessee Clinical Research Center, Nashville; Medical Director, Gold Skin Care Center, Nashville; Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, Nashville; Huashan Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai China No 1 Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang China
email: goldskin@goldskincare. com
S
KEYWORDS laser hair removal, pulsed light, diode, optimised pulse technology
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INCE THE ADVENT OF LASER AND light sources for the removal of unwanted hair, laser surgeons and other health professionals have used these devices to deliver an incredible service to patients and clients that have withstood the test of time.
In fact, for many years laser hair removal has remained the most commonly performed non-invasive laser procedure in a number of surveys that have been associated with data collection in both the dermatological surgical and plastic surgery arenas. In 2011, only neurotoxin injections for cosmetic indications and the use of fillers for wrinkle and volume correction outpaced the number of laser hair removal procedures being performed by physicians in the non-invasive dermatology world1, 2
. A variety of laser systems and intense pulsed light
(IPL) sources have been developed that have been used in an effort to remove unwanted hair. These include the normal and long-pulsed ruby lasers (694 nm),
March 2012 |
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long-pulsed alexandrite lasers (755 nm), diode lasers (800–810 nm), and Nd: YAG laser systems (1064 nm), both in the Q-switched and long-pulsed modes. Furthermore, the IPLs, which emit wavelengths of 500–1200 nm, have also been shown to be effective in laser hair removal (Table 1). In todayÕs laser environment, a number of
modifications have been made, allowing laser hair removal to be carried out at a quicker pace, while being safer than previous lasers and light sources. In addition, newer devices have been modified and adapted to be able to work effectively in skin of colour, retaining a very high safety profile ® something that has been successfully achieved with many of the newer laser and light sources on the market.
Basic principles The basic principles of laser and light source hair removal have remained for many years, with slight tweaks in some of the newer laser systems to make them even more effective. All laser and light sources used for the removal
Table 1 Lasers for epilation
n Long-pulsed ruby lasers
n Long-pulsed alexandrite lasers
n Diode lasers
n Long-pulsed Nd: YAG lasers
n Intense pulsed light sources
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