Tag: laser devices

How to Choose a Laser Hair Removal Provider

Choosing the right laser hair removal provider is the second most important decision you will make concerning your treatment. The most important decision was deciding to have the hair removal treatment. It is best to choose someone, preferably a doctor, that does laser hair removal on a regular basis. Often the best doctors to perform the procedure specialize in plastic surgery order dermatology. They usually have the latest laser devices and are more knowledgeable on the procedures.

A good way to find a list of practitioners in your area is to do an online search. This will result in a list of laser hair removal specialists for you to consider. Some may be doctors that perform the procedure themselves, and others may be doctors that oversee technicians that do the procedure. While searching online it is often possible to find reviews from previous clients concerning specific practitioners and treatments.

After you have narrowed down your list to several choices of laser hair removal specialists, the next step is to schedule a preliminary consultation. The purpose of this consultation is for you to further assess your choices and the quality of each one. Once you arrive at the office you will know right away if it is the type of setting where you would want to have your laser hair removal treatment. The office should meet with your specifications of cleanliness and orderliness. The staff should seem helpful and friendly when you arrive.

When you have your meeting with the practitioner, you should be prepared to ask several questions. You will want to find out the amount of experience he has had with laser hair removal. To do this, you may want to ask him the number of laser hair removal procedures he has completed, how long he has been offering these services, and where he was trained in this specific technology. It is acceptable to ask to see his medical certificates and credentials. This way you will determine his specialty, and whether or not he is board certified. It is also good to find out if the practitioner owns his own lasers.

If you are happy with how your preliminary consultation has progressed to this point, you may want to ask the practitioner the details concerning the specific laser hair removal procedure that you are interested in having done. You should ask him what kind of pain relief is available during the procedure, as most people do experience some degree of discomfort. If you have a low pain tolerance, this is especially important. Ask the practitioner how many treatments he feels will be necessary for your laser hair removal and determine whether his treatment schedule fits into your time from. It is also important to find out the cost of the laser hair removal treatments and the types of payments that this particular office accepts.

You should repeat the preliminary consultation with as many practitioners that you feel are necessary until you find one that makes you feel completely comfortable and fits your price range. Taking the time needed to choose the right practitioner for you is the first step to having successful laser hair removal treatments.

How Lasers Work in Laser Hair Removal

Laser hair removal works by the process of selective targeting of a specific area of the body and using a specific wavelength to absorb light into that area. It does not work on a hair by hair basis, instead it focuses a wide beam of light that treats many hairs at one time. The wavelength of light absorbed has to be sufficient enough to damage the targeted tissue area while leaving the surrounding area basically untouched. The principle behind this process is called selective photothermolysis.

Lasers are intense beams of monochromatic and coherent light. These light beams are produced by laser devices that contain either minerals or gases. The four main types of lasers are solid state, semiconductor, gas and dye.

An electric current stimulates the gas or mineral properties which excites the atoms. The atoms then emit narrow, cohesive, parallel light beams which are all the same wavelength. The light beams are focused just for a fraction of a second on the dark hair pigment at the matrix of the dermal papilla, which is the small, cone shaped indentation at the base of the hair follicle that the hair bulb fits into. The light beam is absorbed and heats the pigment which vaporizes the dermal papilla. The more intense the light beam the hotter it makes the pigment. This results in the dermal papilla being severely damaged or destroyed.

Most people believe that laser hair removal works best on hair that is in its anagen phase. This means that the hair is actively growing and is attached to the dermal papilla. The theory behind this belief is that if the dark pigment in the hair shaft extends all the way down to the dermal papilla, it will be destroyed and vaporized by the coherent light beam that is focused upon the area. This happens because the light beam will follow the dark pigment all the way down to the derma papilla.

Visible light has wavelengths that range from 390 to 770 nm, or nanometers. Lasers operating in this range allows for successful laser hair removal without causing any damage to the dermal tissue. Lasers with a light source that operates between 700 to 1000 nm targets melanin in the hair shaft effectively. For example, the wavelength of an alexandrite laser is 755 nm, which is red in the visible range of the electromagnetic spectrum, making its target melanin. The stronger, or greater, the wavelength, the deeper it penetrates target selectively absorbing the wavelength.

Laser hair removal uses several varying wavelengths of laser energy. These wavelengths range from near infrared radiation to visible light. The three most commonly used lasers for hair removal are Alexandrite, Pulsed diode array, and NeoDymium Yttrium Aluminum Garnets, Also know as Nd:YAGs. The wavelengths of these lasers are 755nm, 810nm, and 1064nm respectively.

Laser hair removal utilizes a complex system of science and physics which are precisely balanced to work effectively and safely on the human body. As technology continues to advance in laser hair removal, this process continues to grow in popularity.