Ultimate guide to laser hair removal
Today we will talk about the three types of laser hair removal Alexandrite, Diode or Pulsed Light.
Laser hair removal is the most comfortable, fastest and most effective solution to permanently remove hair from our body. We have several types of laser depending on the needs of each patient, Alexandrite, Diode or Pulsed Light.
Diode Laser
The Diode laser is the method that allows the laser to penetrate to the deepest layers of the skin, doing in-depth work. Its wavelength is 800 nanometers, which completely eliminates the hair follicle without affecting the melanin in the skin in the slightest.
Lasers that affect the melanin in the skin can produce momentary or permanent spots on your skin, but not in the case of the Diode laser.
Diode laser sessions can be more spaced out in time and do not have to be so close together, you can even take as many breaks as you want and you will always continue the treatment from where you left off.
The most visible drawback with the Diode laser is that it is the most painful on the market, although this will depend on the patient's pain tolerance, the power of the laser and the amount of hair in the area to be treated.
The Diode laser is recommended to treat darker and thicker hair on dark skin, although it is also effective in patients with fine, light hair and light skin.
Alexandrite Laser
The wavelength of the Alexandrite laser is 755 nanometers and is therefore shorter than Diode hair removal. Since it does not reach such depth, this type of laser will affect the melanin layer of the skin and that is why it is only recommended for people with light skin.
As you have light skin, the laser will not detect the color and consequently will not create spots on your dermis. It is a less painful treatment than the previous one and much faster in terms of the duration of a session.
The frequency at which the laser is output is much higher and the focus point is much wider, therefore, large areas can be worked on in a short time. You could have your full-body Alexandrite laser session in just 40 minutes.
This laser has a very curious characteristic and that is that thanks to the shorter wavelength, it stimulates the creation of collagen in the skin. That is why all the areas you treat with Alexandrite will look softer, smoother, rejuvenated and brighter at the end of your complete treatment.
Pulsed Light Laser or IPL
IPL (intense pulsed light) technology for permanent hair removal maintains clear differences with the different types of lasers used for this purpose. The main one is that lasers work with a single wavelength and the light is concentrated on a single point. However, IPL covers a wide range of wavelengths, which allows the device to be adapted through the use of different filters to the characteristics of each person's hair and skin; In addition, each shot covers an area of 5 cm2, so a greater amount of hair is removed.
These particular technical characteristics establish clear differences in relation to their effectiveness compared to laser hair removal since laser devices can only perform those treatments for which they were designed and different equipment is needed to cover the same spectrum of patients as with IPL.
The first of them is that its depilatory effectiveness does not depend as much on the caliber of the hair as with lasers, for which it increases with the thickness of the hair. With IPL you can remove the finest hairs. On the other hand, the effectiveness of IPL is better when the hair is dark and the skin is light, as is the case with the Alexandrite laser, so it should not be used on dark or tanned skin.
For these cases, the diode laser in any of its versions is better. Regarding hair color, pulsed light can remove lighter hair than with laser, although with limitations (very blonde, gray hair and redhead). In any case, the variety of wavelengths that can be used with IPL makes the treatment more personalized, since it is adapted to the characteristics of each person.
Through a head adapted to the area of the body to be treated, allowing the hair to absorb light and heat up. The heat emitted is what damages the stem and bulb and prevents hair from growing back. With this laser we can treat several different follicles at the same time, so it is much faster than the traditional laser. Once the session is over, we apply a cream that calms and hydrates the skin, but it is very normal to feel redness or inflammation in the treated area, these will disappear after approximately 72 hours.
On darker or tanned skin, small vesicles or blisters may appear that disappear after a few weeks. The frequency of the sessions will depend on each patient and the intended results, each session lasts about 30-40 minutes.
Before treatment, the following steps must be completed: you must moisturize the skin in depth three days minimum with cream, Tell us if you have had sun exposure or UVA rays, to readjust the treatment, do not depilate the areas to be treated with wax or tweezers a month before the session and shave the area to be treated with a razor, except in the facial area, which the operator will take care of on the same day of the appointment, do not apply self-tanning products the week before the treatment, nor bleach the hair to be removed at least 15 days before the appointment, come with clean skin and without makeup on the day of the appointment, do not use cosmetics that contain glycolic or retinoic acid in the three days prior to the treatment, nor apply deodorant before or after the session, if the skin suffers from chloasma or a tendency to hyperpigmentation, use local depigmentation during the two weeks prior to the treatment, if you suffer from cold sores you must notify us beforehand so Start prevention treatment the day before the session.
Some tips after the treatment may be to use protective cream and keep the skin hydrated, avoid inflammation of the treated areas by immediate application of other products that contain alcohol, do not exfoliate or rub the shaved area, do not use skin pulling methods or before or after the session, avoid high sun exposure or UVA rays the week after the treatment, if any type of redness, inflammation or change in discoloration appears, go immediately to the center for a consultation and in no case self-medicate, do not go to swimming pools or saunas in 24-48 hours, nor do any type of physical exercise, and finally avoid hot water in 24-48 hours.
And finally, it is not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women, people with immunosuppressive disorders where real immunosuppression is evident (tumors, HIV, etc.), people with active skin infections (herpes zoster or simplex, chickenpox, contagious impetigo , etc.), people with disorders that lead to a significant deterioration in their health (fevers) or who are taking certain medications (consult the list of medications in the Center), people with cancer or undergoing cancer treatment, we do not recommend hair removal. the area near the eye, areas of poor support (inner area of the ear, ear, nose), mucosal areas or areas with tattoos (it is possible that the tattoo is damaged by the laser).
WhastApp