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Alexandrite (Wavelength : 755nm)
 The
best results in laser hair removal are obtained with Alexandrite
lasers. Among this type, two brands are recognized as best in class:
Cynosure and Candela.
Among these best in Class, the Apogée line and/or the Elite line
from Cynosure are considered excellent. They come either as
air-cooled water-cooled laser. They are linked to a skin-cooling
machine called a SmartCool.
Some countries have
replaced the SmartCool with the Cryojet C600, which provides added
cold air to the skin. The colder the air the better the skin is
during treatment. The skin needs a strong cooling mechanism to
remain intact. The Candela lasers use a spray of cryogenic gas
during each pulse.
All other cooling
methods are under par. Such low-grade methods involve clear gels
such as sonographic gel, or “cold” gels which tend to disturb the
coherent laser light. These gels are always used with Flash Lamps or
Intense Pulse Light systems.
The newly released GentleMax Plus from Candela (2008) has reached a
level that has been considered by some as “crème de la crème”.
The world’s best laser centers use either the Apogée line/Elite Line
or the GentleMax Plus. In these lasers they find reliability,
efficacy, power and speed added to patient comfort. Since these
machines are rather large equipments requiring a special ventilation
system and drainage, it’s not going to be found in your “around the
corner laser center” or even “rolled from one center to the next” as
some operators do with their smaller less powerful lasers (or IPLs!).
Please call your laser center to find out if they are using these
latest generations lasers..
Nd YAG
Long Pulse (Wavelength 1064 nm)
New lasers released in 2005 such as the Cynosure Elite
Modular or Candela Gentle YAG Plus have an NdYAG 1064nm wavelength
beam capable of removing hair on darker skins ( phototypes V and VI
–black ). What makes them safe and effective is their Long Pulse
delivery system which spares the skin from burning.
These new lasers, with a different type of settings can
treat spider veins on your legs or these little red and thin veins on
your face. Often quite embarrassing and unable to be treated by
sclerosis, these small veins are nicely “erased” by these NdYAG long
Pluse lasers. They will fade away with a local redness for 1 to 2
weeks.
Ask your laser physician if his/her center is equipped
with new type of laser if you are considering a hair removal program
and your skin is dark. Ususally, with these lasers, your program will
require up to 2 additional sessions as compared to Alexandrite lasers.
The great advantage is that your skin won’t have any white or dark
spot afterwards but during the session the discomfort will be higher
than with an Alexandrite.
Some older lasers may be used for hair removal : rubis or
diode (810 nm). Diode lasers with a higher wavelength come closer to
the absorption curve presented by skin tissues such as blue and red
veins. For fair skin individuals, these lasers may not be as safe as
Alexandrite lasers that produce a wavelength further away from blood
structures (755nm).
ATTENTION - CAREFUL: some laser centers promote their use of “lasers”
when in fact they use Flash Lamps or Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) for
permanent hair removal ; It’s confusing and misleading. These
machines ARE NOT lasers. Many laser physicians throughout the world
have demonstrated the difference between the two technologies. Flash
lamps are not as reliable or as efficacious as lasers. Flash lamp
treatments require twice as many sessions; they can stimulate hair
growth and may harm some structure in the epidermis. In the long run,
Flash lamp treatments cost more than laser’s.
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