Laser Hair Removal Systems Compared and Combined in a Test
Laser hair removal was practiced experimentally for about twenty years, and then approved by the FDA in 1997 for permanent hair removal. The term ‘laser’ in this context refers to a variety of hair removal systems that utilize light of varying wave lengths.
None of them are technically a laser beam, and all of them have varying effectiveness depending on the patient and the method by which the treatment is applied. Laser hair removal is judged by its immediate effect and by the length of time that a treatment remains effective. Some hair will always grow back; a 50% reduction after a year’s time is considered a good mark.
The laser hair removal devices on the market today use pulsed light to control skin damage around the hair follicle. The light produces an intense heat that damages the hair follicle and the melanin within. The purpose of the pulse is to avoid damaging melanin in the surrounding skin; melanin is what gives skin its color. Wavelength will also dictate, to some degree, the depth at which the pulsed laser treatment will be effective.
One of the other variables in laser hair removal treatment is fluence, the relative energy level. It is important to have enough energy to damage the follicle. The size of the light beam varies effectiveness as well: in theory, the beam should be about four times as wide as the targeted follicle is deep. Doctors have continued to juggle the variables of wavelength, energy strength, length of the light pulse and size of the beam to find a system that is effective, keeps multiple treatments to a minimum, and minimizes pain.
Dark skin has always been a problem in laser hair removal because it is more quickly affected and damaged by laser treatment. Until recently laser hair removal wasn’t practiced on people with dark complexions because of damage concerns.
The medium through which the light is cast determines its length. One of the popular mediums is alexandrite, which is judged to be the most effective but functions best on light skin. The system with the longest wavelength is known as Nd:YAG: the attraction of this system is that it can safely treat dark skin, but it has not yet proven to be effective for long-term hair removal.
A recent study compared the long term effectiveness of these two systems as well as treatment using both systems was conducted, and researchers concluded that combination therapy brought no additional value to the treatment. The alexandrite laser proved most effective with an 84.3% hair reduction rate. The combined treatments produced a 73.5% reduction and caused more burning of the skin. The alexandrite treatment also proved to be the least painful. The principal value of the Nd:YAG: technology appears to be the fact that it can treat all skin colors without causing skin damage.
