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| LASERS AND LIGHTS | ARTICLE


the RevLite, has double the power and a flattening of the laser pulse, which makes it safer than previous generations.. The long-pulsed Nd: YAG lasers continue to receive a


great deal of interest because they are the safest group of devices that can be used (theoretically) on darker-skinned individuals. A number of clinical studies36–38


have shown their


effectiveness in laser hair removal. Tanzi and Alster39


treated patients of all


skin types. Hair reduction after three treatments was 58–62% on facial areas at 1 month after the last treatment, and 66Ð 69% on non-facial areas. At 6 months after the last treatment, hair removal was 41–46% on facial skin and 48–53% on non-facial areas. There are many brands of 1064 nm laser systems (Table 2).


IPLs for hair removal IPLs have had a long and changeable career in the laser industry. At first, many felt these devices were not relevant and would not survive the test of time. In fact, IPLs have withstood the test of time; most major laser companies produce an IPL of their own, and they have enjoyed


Figure 10 The first dedicated IPL for hair removal — EpiLight


being some of the most popular and successful medical devices used in the aesthetic arena. The author was fortunate to have the first dedicated IPL


for hair removal. It was known as the EpiLight, and research endeavours showed its effectiveness in the long-term removal of unwanted hair (Figure 10). Reports from the authorÕs research facility showed its use in one treatment and 3-month post-IPL therapy data40 data42


, 1-year data41 blond hairs5 .


, epilation through a vascular technique for treating , and in treating skin types V and VI43


Many others have looked at the use of IPL and its


effectiveness in the long-term reduction of unwanted hair. Their information has been written about extensively in other drafts and summarised in a number of articles6


, 2-year


. The list of currently available IPLs used for


hair removal is shown in Table 3. What is new in IPL circles is what is known as Ôsquaring


of the pulseÕ. Previously, in order to deliver sufficient energy to affect the target, a great deal of energy was given which then dissipated throughout the duration of the pulse. This required high fluences, and even with multiple pulsing options, adverse events, including PIH and scars, were occasionally seen. Then companies began looking at the pulse again and it was determined that if this could be square, lower energies could be used. Lower energies mean safer treatments, especially for darker-skinned patients. Feng et al44


have looked at this in a series of Chinese individuals and found that prime-journal.com | March 2012 ❚ 67


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