Lasers Hair Removal and Beauty Tips

Though Alexandrite laser and Diode laser equipments are the most popular laser devices available, there are some other strong and new contenders in the market too. Here is a brief overview with advantages and disadvantages of two of them:

Q-Switched Nd: YAG laser
In this, the Q-switching device emits rapid bursts of laser light to the treatment area and it has the ability to deliver two different wave lengths of light. One is an invisible infrared light used for deeper penetration. The other wavelength, a green light, is employed for treating hair follicles closer to the surface.

The devices available for this type of laser are Carbon suspension Q-switched lasers SoftLight (ThermoLase; London, England), Q-switched Nd: YAG laser MedLite IV ( Hoya ConBio, Fremont, Calif), and Long-pulsed Nd: YAG lasers e.g., LaserScope (Depilase; Phoenix, Ariz)

Specifications
Wavelength: 1064
Pulse width: 10-50
Fluence: 20-100
Spot size: 3-5
Repetition rate: Up to 10 Hz

Advantages:
One of the greatest advantages of this laser equipment is the availability of surface cooling and epidermal protection due to surface cooling and longer pulse duration of these lasers.
Long-term studies show that these laser systems can achieve a significant delay in hair regrowth. Also, Nd: YAG 1064 nm system is well suited for dark pigmented patients

Disadvantages:
The use of this device is cumbersome due to waxing and carbon lotion application and also this device has not proven effective for long-term results.

Ruby laser
This device is very suitable for people with fair skin and dark hairs as it targets specific melanin and emits red-colored beam which seeks out the target melanin inside the hair shafts and adjoining hair follicles.

Three normal-modes of 694-nm ruby lasers are commercially available for laser hair removal .These include the E2000 (Palomar Medical; Burlington, Mass) (cleared from FDA), EpiPulse Ruby (formerly ESC Sharplan, now Light Sheer from Lumenis; Santa Clara, Calif), RubyStar (Aesculap-Meditec; Jena, Germany)
Specifications
Wavelength: 694
Pulse width: 0.85-3
Fluence: 5-40
Spot size: 3-10
Repetition rate: 0.5-1.2

Advantages:
The advantage of this device is long term hair removal and also in built cooling devices which minimize the chances of burns and other laser hair removal side effects.

Short sight or “Myopia” is ability to see near objects clearly and disability to see far objects clearly. During adolescence, the power of glasses changes along with the change of height and voice. The change stabilizes at about 20 years of age. This power usually remains with out much of change up to the age of forty. It is not possible to treat myopia with medicines or special food.

Radial Keratotomy is a simple surgical procedure, which can treat powers up to - 5.00 Diopters (points). It is not as sophisticated as Laser treatment but is very much cheaper and gives good results for myopia up to - 5.00 dioptors.

However, the advent of laser has reduced the popularity of radial keratomy. Excimer Laser treatment is the latest method of treating short sight. Both the eyes are treated at the same sitting to avoid gross difference of power between the two eyes. Very rarely one eye is treated at a time. A week’s rest is advisable after LASIK laser treatment and a month after PRK.

There are two types of treatment available:

1. PRK or surface treatment: In PRK, the laser is applied directly on the surface of the cornea after removing the epithelium (skin of the cornea).

The laser reshapes the cornea into a lens of required power. The skin of the cornea grows back in about 4 to 7 days after treatment. Till the skin of the cornea grows back, the patient will have irritation of the eyes and will find it difficult to open the eyes. The visual recovery will start only after the skin grows back. Patient will have to apply medicines for 3 to 6 months after PRK. PRK has an upper limit of minus 9.00 Diopters (points) for treatment. PRK is cheaper than Lasik treatment.

2. LASIK (laser treatment under the partial thickness corneal flap): In this treatment, a computer-controlled kerotome (Blade) cuts the cornea to raise a 60 to 80-micron (1 micron = 1/1000 mm.) corneal flap. Laser is applied under the flap.

The corneal flap is replaced after the procedure. Here the skin of the cornea is not removed and so the patient’s discomfort is minimal. The visual recovery is rapid and the patient is able to regain near normal vision on the very next day. Medicines have to be applied for a month following LASIK Laser treatment.

The major draw back of Laser treatment is that it is not possible to guarantee a 100% cure for every body. Some people may have - 0.5 or -1.0 Diopter residual power. But for a person who was wearing - 10.0 or -15.0 Diopter glasses prior to laser treatment, these small residual powers are not significant. Being a surgical procedure, LASIK also has it own risks like all other surgical procedures.

Hairs have always been a woe to mankind with they growing where we least want it and just not appearing where we most want it. However, laser skin centres now come with a permanent solution to the ugly hair growth through the latest Diode hair removing laser system.

Diode hair removal system is a non invasive light therapy device which targets at removing undesired hair from all parts of the body. The Diode laser is a diode array type of laser approved for permanent hair reduction by the Food and Drug Administration. This laser generates light at an 810 nm wavelength which targets the melanin pigment which is there in the hair follicle and shaft. The patented Chill Tip cooling hand protects the outer layer of skin by decreasing the surface temperature and preventing thermal injury from the laser beam and also has a mild anesthetic to evade the discomfort of the procedure.

Hundreds of hairs are targeted in one flash of light and a complete facial treatment may take just 10 minutes whereas a back or both legs may take 20 minutes. Depending on the hair color & location on the body, several sittings may be needed, with each session usually lasting 5-30 minutes.

This laser works by destroying the hair roots. Starting with a cool gel being applied on the skin, the laser light is guided through a chill-tip probe to the hair roots. When the laser safely penetrates into the skin, it disables hundreds of hair follicles simultaneously. Then the gel is removed and most of the hairs are wiped off with it. The remaining hairs fall out within a week or two.

Though one may use chemical depilators or shave in between sittings, it should be noted that there should not be any removal of hair by epilation, waxing, plucking or threading 4 weeks before treatment to ensure that maximum hair follicles are in the active cycle and can be destroyed by the laser. After the treatment, sun exposure should be avoided and a sunscreen should be used.

Photo rejuvenation involves using an energy-delivery device to improve skin texture, fine wrinkles, scars, and hyper pigmentation (skin discoloration such as sun spots, age spots, and freckles). Photo rejuvenation falls into three categories: mechanical, thermal, and chemical. Mechanical methods include lasers, thermal include Thermage, and chemical includes chemical peels.

Photo rejuvenation technology is always changing and improving. Some of the most common problems of sun damaged and aging skin which can be treated with photo rejuvenation are:

Photo-Aging, Hyperpigmentation, and Large Pores: Intense pulsed light (IPL) systems have proven useful for sun damage, hyperpigmentation, and large pores.

Skin Irregularities, Fine Lines, and Dark Skin Discoloration: CO2, erbium/YAG, and combination CO2-erbium/YAG lasers have been beneficial for skin irregularities, wrinkles, acne scars, and certain types of skin discoloration.

Sun Damage: Pulsed dye lasers or IPL are used for sun damage and aging skin.

Melasma: Kligman’s formula followed by frequency-doubled Q-switched laser or IPL has been effective for the management of melasma, a patchy or generalized dark or tan discoloration of the skin.

Pigmented Lesions: A combination of a frequency-doubled Q-switched Nd:YAG (KTP) laser and also an IPL is useful for pigmented lesions. However, laser treatment is not recommended for removal of dark moles.

Wrinkles and Sagging Skin: For different signs of aging, such as droopiness of the tissues, loss of volume, and loss of elasticity, and surface discoloration, one can opt for various treatments like dermabrasion, chemical peel and laser resurfacing, infrared light, low-level laser, IPL, and even radio-frequency devices.

IPL therapy does help in collagen and elastic fiber production. Collagen supports fibroblasts, which act as bridges of support for the skin just below the skin surface. Collagen production decreases with age, so the stimulation of collagen production through light therapy or lasers can help reduce the effects of aging on the skin.

Scars: Keloid and hypertrophic scars respond to 585-nm pulsed dye laser (PDL) treatments. Raised scar edges may require an additional laser such as the Er:YAG or CO2 laser system.

One of the most popular cosmetic dentistry procedures is laser tooth cleaning. The laser used in this technique is more of blue lamp that’s used to activate the peroxide gel responsible for the whitening effect.  Before starting the procedure, the dentist gives your mouth a proper cleaning. After the cleaning, the dentist puts a cheek retractor in the patient’s mouth.  This allows the dentist to do his job without worrying about the strength of the patient’s jaw.  A hydrogen peroxide gel is then applied to every tooth in the mouth.  Depending on which specific product you use, multiple coatings of this gel may be required.

After the teeth are fully coated, it’s time for the “laser” portion of this procedure.  As mentioned above, this is basically a blue light that sits about two inches away from the mouth.  It illuminates the teeth, working with the gel to create the whitening effect.  The entire laser teeth whitening process takes about an hour.

All of these procedures need to be done in a dentist’s office by a professional. The dentist should also check if there is any hint of gum disease or severe tooth decay because the bleach in the peroxide gel can actually make these problems worse.

One cannot stress enough on the effect of great and sparkling white teeth on your looks. However, having white teeth is great but having healthy clean teeth is far more important.  You should never sacrifice health for aesthetics when it comes to anything.

Getting rid of unwanted hair has been a painful procedure for long and also most of the techniques are not helpful in removing fine and short hair. Now, with Tweezers this problem is likely to be solved. This is an automatic device that is absolutely painless. With an ultra-bright built-in light and attached magnifier, tweezers allow you to see the finest of hairs. Stainless steel tweezers are angled and firmly grip hair for precision tweezing. No slipping or pinching. You can even tweeze in the dark. Tweezers are also perfect for the removal of splinters and ingrown hairs. Often the device Includes one AAA battery and bonus eyebrow brush.

The various characteristics of a tweezer include:

• This is an automatic device.
• It makes removal of facial hair easy and smooth.
• It is meant for both men and women.
• This device makes it possible to remove the smallest and finest hair with ease.
• All one needs to do is move the device in a rapid circle motion without applying pressure over the area to be cleaned.
• It can be used on all skin types.
• It leaves the skin soft and stubble free.
• There is no fear of nicks and cuts and it is painless.
• It can be sued on the lip, chin, knees, cheeks, toes, bikini line and underarms.

However, care must be taken not to use it on the eyebrows.

For today’s advances in laser eye surgery and emerging technologies, having sharp, near-perfect vision for life is a clear choice for many. When considering laser vision correction surgery, you want the best for your eyes you need the best surgeon, the best care before and after treatment, and the best treatment system available is Zyoptix laser eye surgery. It was the first system in Europe and Asia that applied Wavefront technology in laser eye treatment to provide Personalized Vision treatments.

The Zyoptix system is designed by Bausch & Lomb, and the company claims that this system is more precise than the standard Lasik treatment. Zyoptix surgeries report that 91.5% of patients had unaided vision without glasses or contacts and 70.3% of patients had unaided better. This procedure may be more beneficial to you when you want to minimize the risk of complications and common side effects associated with the Lasik surgery.

Zyoptix ideally treats patients who have night vision problem, with naturally large pupils, pre-existing higher order aberrations and nearsightedness and/or astigmatism. Zyoptix offers several benefits for the average, and some of them are:

1. The Zyoptix is an advanced eye surgery procedure that delivers a treatment unique to every individual, taking laser vision correction to a new frontier and more than improving your vision, it can enhance your life.

2. The Zyoptix system can measure aberrations in the eye that are causing vision problems, and generate a three-dimensional map which can then be used as part of the laser correction process to target specific areas.

3. The Zyoptix uses the latest most advanced technology to detect and treat very small vision errors. A recent FDA study, significantly more patients had better quality of night driving vision than patients treated with standard LASIK eye surgery. Zyoptix is like standard LASIK eye treatment, but is fast and virtually painless.

4. The Zyoptix lasers can smooth out the cornea with an innovative ‘dancing light’ laser. This scans the eyes and makes it easier to target the laser in exactly the right area.

5. The Zyoptix laser offers a 30% greater chance vision than standard lasers. This means you can undergo laser eye surgery just once to correct vision problems.

The Titan laser is a non-invasive solution for treating loose skin and offers several benefits. Titan utilizes a safe, infrared spectrum of light that is delivered to the dermis well below the outer skin’s surface. There is no down time and no external injury to the skin. There are no external wounds to care for. A person can return to work right after the cosmetic procedure. It helps stimulate collagen production and can increase the firmness of the skin a few months after treatment. If you’re looking for a simple way to improve skin tone and texture, here’s what you can expect from your Titan treatment.

The procedure can be utilized on a variety of areas including the face, neck and body. The most frequent areas receiving Titan Laser treatment is the facial area, the forehead, neck, cheeks and jowl are the most popular areas. In addition other regions such as the stomach, thighs, and arms can also be effectively treated. The procedure is especially effective in treating the more difficult regions of the body such as the knee and elbows regions.

How the Titan Procedure Works?

The Titan laser can firm up loose skin that is a result of weight loss, aging or pregnancy; Since the laser works by stimulating the formation of new collagen, ideal results will take approximately three to eight months to materialize. While this laser procedure is very effective it does have limitations. Individuals with advanced skin aging coupled with sun damage and excessive wrinkles may not be the best candidates for the Titan laser procedure. Titan laser therapy can be combined with other facial rejuvenation treatments for a complete body or facial makeover. The results of Titan Skin tightening technology may be seen within a few weeks of the treatment, however the full benefits are usually not observed for three to six months. This is probably the most difficult part of this procedure as the effects of the treatment are not seen immediately.

Key Benefits of the Titan Skin Tightening Procedure

• Look years younger
• Treats lax and sagging skin
• Versatile procedure
• Reduce risk of injured fat
• Stimulates long-term collagen growth
• Visible results within weeks
• Is safe, comfortable and non-surgical
• Alternative to liposuction
• No downtime

For many men and women, unwanted hair can be a nightmare. Until now the only options for removing unwanted hair were smelly hair removal creams, sharp razors, stinging wax or painful electrolysis needles and time-consuming, but there is a permanent and painless hair removing option available that is IPL, an advanced approach to beautiful skin, provides the ultimate solution. The IPL process uses intense pulsed light to gently remove unwanted hair, putting an end to routine shaving and waxing and the treatments leave your skin feeling smoother and silkier.

Intense pulsed light therapy treats larger areas such as the back, shoulders, arms, legs and face rather than treating one hair at a time. This treatment is a safe, fast, gentle and effective alternative method for hair removal. The treatment works on most skin types and the total cost of treatment may be far lower than standard hair removal methods. Here’s what you need to know about the IPL laser hair removal procedure:

IPL works equally well on most skin pigmentations without removing any of the pigment for both men and women. IPL hair removal can also safely and effectively eliminate hair of all colors: blond, red, brown, black and even white. With the process, your doctor can gently treat hair in sensitive areas such as the bikini line, stomach, underarms and upper lip, at the same time maintaining a healthy, normal appearance of the surrounding tissue. The IPL laser hair removal device works by emitting a spectrum of light and heat energy directly into the hair follicle, effectively breaking down the hair and slowing down hair growth, as the hair follicle becomes weaker, the hair grows back at a very slow rate and eventually, does not grow back at all.

The benefits of IPL laser hair removal:

• Little or no downtime.
• It works equally well with light or dark hair and skin.
• There is less chance for scarring and pigmentation change.
• Less pain and discomfort compared to other hair removal treatments.
• Combines the speed of shaving with the lasting results by electrolysis.

If you are looking for size reduction through a clinically proven method that requires minimal effort on their part, this article is the one for you. Bader Sultan & Brothers Company, a leading Kuwaiti medical services and supplies company, has announced today the launch of a revolutionary cold laser treatment. This treatment uses a fat reduction technique to help shape the body. The laser is named ZERONA™ which is applied externally and provides results without the dangers associated with surgery.

The high-power, high-heat lasers have been conventionally in various surgical procedures. This new product, Zerona laser, has no thermal effect on the body’s tissue as it produces a low-level, or cold, output. In addition, this non-invasive cold laser helps the body emulsify fat by stimulating biological function. Excess fat is then removed naturally by the body without the negative side effects and downtime associated with more invasive procedures such as liposuction. Patients remain active during the treatment which utilizes the Erchonia.

Steve Shanks, President of Erchonia Medical, praised the product saying, “Our product has undergone extensive research over the last ten years and in 2004 achieved approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use during liposuction. Since 2006 it can be used as a standalone treatment. We know our cold laser can help so many people achieve their goals and contour their bodies with very little effort.”

“I am delighted that my company has signed this agreement with Erchonia Medical and is the first to bring this innovative solution to the Middle East. We are already in the process of establishing relationships with health clinics in the region to make this treatment easily available,” said Mr. Anwar Al Sultan, Chairman of Bader Sultan & Brothers Company. “Dubai Derma is the perfect way to launch the Zerona cold laser here and I am thrilled to have several expert doctors with us to demonstrate the benefits of this solution.”

“This is an amazing medical procedure that will provide relief for so many in our region without the potential hazards associated with invasive surgery and should be considered as an ideal alternative to surgery in select cases,” commented Dr. Ahmed Al Fadli, President of the Kuwait Plastic Surgery Society, Chief of Plastic Surgery in Kuwait, Vice President of the Kuwait Medical Association and the current President of the Pan Arab Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Association. “My clinical trials have demonstrated very positive results so far, with many patients experiencing a 12cms to 20cms reduction in waist and thigh size.”

Dr. Douglas Dedo of the Palm Beach Institute of Cosmetic Surgery and past President of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery added: “This revolutionary treatment can work without any kind of surgery or the need for excessive dieting or exercise; though as a doctor I always recommend a healthy lifestyle for my patients. What is also exciting is that clinical studies have revealed that ZERONA™ can help in the treatment of acute and chronic pain relief as well as in controlling cholesterol and triglycerides.”