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.

Cryosurgery is a highly effective treatment for a broad range of benign skin problems like actinic keratosis, solar lentigo, seborrheic keratosis, viral wart, molluscum contagiosum, and dermatofibroma and is a suitable option for treatment patients with light skin and for treatment of lesions in most non–hair-bearing areas of the body. Spray methods include the timed spot freeze technique, the rotary or spiral pattern, and the paintbrush method. Cryosurgery has been used to treat skin lesions for approximately 100 years though over the past 50 years, much experience has been gained in the use of cryosurgery to treat skin lesions.

Besides requiring little time and fitting easily into the physician’s office schedule, this treatment also has the advantage of a short preparation time, low risk of infection, and minimal wound care. In addition, cryosurgery requires no expensive supplies or injectable anesthesia, and the patient does not have to return for suture removal.

Potential side effects include bleeding, blister formation, headache, hair loss, and hypo pigmentation, but rarely scarring. Skin lesions often can be treated in a single session, although some require several treatments.

The first cryogens were liquid air and compressed carbon dioxide snow. Then came liquid nitrogen and currently is the most widely used cryogen. It is particularly useful in the treatment of malignant lesions. Temperatures of −25°C to −50°C (−13°F to −58°F) can be achieved within 30 seconds if a sufficient amount of liquid nitrogen is applied by spray or probe. Generally, destruction of benign lesions requires temperatures of −20°C to −30°C (−4°F to −22°F). Effective removal of malignant tissue often requires temperatures of −40°C (−40°F) to −50°C.

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.

Removing unwanted hair from different body parts has been a major beauty issue for 80 percent of women around the world. Depending on the amount and quality of hair growth and also the area where the unwanted hair needs to be removed, there are various choices of hair removal procedures. Here is an outline of the most common ones:

Shaving

Shaving is the most common way, painless, fast and cheap way to remove unwanted hair. One requires a razor and a moisturizing shaving cream containing aloe vera and vitamin E for it. The drawback of this procedure is that it causes stubble, cuts, ingrown hair, and skin irritation. Though its effects last only for one to three days, it does cause hair to grow in thicker, contrary to the popular belief.

Waxing

Waxing is another popular and longer lasting hair removal process preferred for legs, hands and pubic areas. Waxing involves using warm or cold wax that is applied to the skin and then quickly stripped off. Negative side effects include pain, ingrown hair and scarring. Also, waxing should not be done on irritated, sunburned or broken skin.

Threading

Threading is most popular hair removal technique for eye brows and upper lips. Threading uses a long twisted loop that is rotated to create coils that trap the hair, which is pulled from the skin and broken off. Though it can lead to pain, scarring and ingrown hair, it has the benefits of being inexpensive and causing hair to become thinner over time.

Depilatory

Using depilatory hair removal products is another way to get rid of your unwanted hair. Depilatory creams contain alkaline chemicals that dissolve hair protein, causing it to break in half. Depilatory products should also not be used on the eyebrows, pubic area or broken or sensitive skin. Side defects include an allergic reaction to chemicals in the product, ingrown hair and dry, itchy and sometimes burning skin.

Electrolysis

Electrolysis is a hair removal process in which needles send an electric pulse into the hair follicle, thereby hindering future hair growth. This technique is especially recommended for those with more body hair as well as coarser body hair.

A slow process, electrolysis is nevertheless effective, offering more long-term results, although only after multiple sessions. It costs roughly $50 to $100 per session. Side effects can include scarring, pain and in rare cases, bacterial and viral infections.

Laser Hair Removal

A new hair removal technique is laser hair removal. It is a long-term hair removal technique, although four to six sessions are generally needed in order to remove hair on a permanent basis.

Birthmarks, which appear in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes, can be bothersome and a hinderance to one’s confidence and self-esteem. With the increasing popularity of various cosmetic surgery procedures, birthmark removal is no more a big issue now. There are various types of birthmarks including moles (congenital nevi), Coffee-cream spots, flat patches of discoloration, port-wine stains, and several others.

People considering birthmark removal should first find a qualified cosmetic surgeon or dermatologist to perform the procedure. Before proceeding with the procedure, the issues such as reasons for wanting the procedure, desired outcome, various options available, a detailed description of the procedure itself, the risks, limitations, and benefits, should be discussed. The patient’s medical history is taken, and the area to be treated is examined.

Depending on its type, size, location and other factors, birthmark removal can be done either by laser or other surgical procedures. Lasers are used to treat birthmarks that are close to the surface of the skin, such as port-wine stains. This method can be performed at any age. During treatment, short bursts of laser light are aimed at the birthmark in order to shrink it or cause it to stop growing. Multiple visits may be necessary to achieve optimal results. Laser therapy may also be used for hemangioma, however it is not used to treat cases where it is found on an internal organ, or deep within the skin.

After undergoing laser therapy, the treated skin becomes dark purple. This should only last about seven to ten days and disappear soon after. However in some cases, it can take six to eight weeks for the purple area to completely disappear.

Following treatment, it is recommended that patients do not scratch the treated area. It is also important to stay out of the sun while healing. When in the sun, patients should use sunscreen.

Last but not the least, one must remember that cosmetic surgery is meant for improvement, not perfection. It is important to have realistic goals and expectations when considering birthmark removal.

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.

Pregnancy leads of various hormone changes resulting in more hair growth around the belly, nipples, or other unwanted places and with your belly getting bigger, you can barely SEE your legs, let alone shave them!

If you are considering almost permanent hair removal by electrolysis during pregnancy, you must know that the safety of laser during pregnancy has not yet been established. Many electrologists require a letter from your health care provider authorizing treatment during pregnancy. Many health care providers and electrologists recommend avoiding electrolysis during pregnancy because of the lack of information about the effect on the fetus. However, if you do opt to have electrolysis done during pregnancy, avoid getting it done on the breasts in the last trimester, especially if you’re going to breastfeed. Also the abdomen should be avoided in the final weeks of pregnancy, because it is very sensitive and would be very uncomfortable for you at this point in the pregnancy.

There are two types of current used in electrolysis. First is thermolysis also referred to as diathermy, radio wave, short wave, or high frequency wave. The other current is Galvanic in which a minute electrical current is sent through the client and back to the device.

Among both these types, galvanic current is not recommended because the baby is surrounded by amniotic fluid which acts as a conductor of electricity. Thermolysis does not flow through the body and has not been found to be harmful to pregnant women or the fetus.