What Is the Effect Mechanism of Laser Epilation?
In the laser epilation method, laser light targets the pigment melanin and reaches high energy at the hair follicle. With the melanin in follicle absorbs the energy in laser light, the follicle gets heated and suffers destruction. Because of this destruction, follicle loses its ability of generating new hair and new hair generation is prevented. While the high energy in laser light causes destruction in the follicle, it does not cause any damage in other structures of the skin.
Which Type of Light Systems Are Used In Epilation?
Alexandrite, Diode and Nd:YAG laser light systems are mostly used in the laser epilation. Frequently used but non-laser IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) systems are also used in the epilation. Wave lengths of the commonly used laser and non-laser light systems in epilation vary between 755 nm and 1200 nm. To sum up;
| LIGHT SYSTEMS USED IN EPILATION(LASER/NON-LASER) | WAVE LENGTH (nm) |
| Alexandrite Laser | 755 |
| Diode Laser | 800 |
| Nd:YAG Lazer | 1064 |
| Non-laser IPL light systems (Modern Wax) | 590-1200 |
The laser types mostly used in our day
They are Alexandrite laser, Nd:YAG laser and Diode Laser. Cooling in the laser epilation is an important factor helping to prevent epidermis, in other words the upper layer of skin, to be damaged. It is required to cool effectively the epidermis that is heated after each laser shot. Different cooling systems are used in the laser epilation systems to cool the skin. One of these systems is the method of flushing coolant to the skin. The picture below presents cooling the epidermis with the coolant flushing method.
Is There Any Damage or Side Effect of the Laser Epilation?
One of the frequently asked questions is if there is any damage or side effect of the laser epilation to the health. The laser epilation is properly applied by using energy level in accordance with the person’s skin structure, and if skin cooling is also made in accordance with the skin structure, the risk of side effect formation is quite low.
The skins of bronze persons, when compared to light-skinned persons, absorb a higher amount of the laser energy. For this reason, it can be said that Nd:YAG lasers is more appropriate option for the bronze-skinned persons than the Alexandrite laser by reason of releasing less energy on the skin surface. However, no matter which laser type is used in the epilation, there is benefit in avoiding from the sun during two weeks after the laser application. Otherwise, allergic reaction and/or spot formation may be observed.
By reason of being high-powered and bright of the laser beams, special glasses should be worn in the course of the application of laser epilation. In the contrary case, the laser beam may cause damage in the eyes.
Another issue wondered about is if there is any carcinogenic effect of the laser epilation. As it can be seen from the table above, the epilation lasers in different types work in different wave lengths. The wave lengths epilation lasers worked in are absorbed only by the melanocyte cells in the hair follicles. Areas where the melanocyte cells are most intensively in are the nevuses in our body. For this reason, in order not to create any carcinogenic effect, it is required to protect the nevuses in body by making laser and not to make shot on them.
There is not any scientific finding regarding the laser epilation to cause negative results at the female reproductive organs. There is not any evidence regarding that the laser epilation may be harmful to baby in the pregnancy period. But still the laser epilation should not be applied to the pregnant women.
What Is the Best Time for Laser Epilation?
The best time for laser epilation is autumn, winter and spring periods. But on condition that being protected from the sun after laser epilation it can be applied in summer also. Nd:YAG laser may be a more appropriate option especially for the bronze-skinned persons.
At Which Intervals Is the Laser Epilation Applied?
It is applied to the facial area with 1 – 1.5 month, to the body region with 2 – 2.5 month intervals. The reason is that the hairs enter in anagen, in other words growth phase within these time intervals. Laser epilation is effective for the hairs in growth phase, in a sense at that session the hairs in growth phase (20-30 % of the all hairs) are destroyed. This is the reason of that the laser epilation does not give result in one session. Being of the patients in accord with these times increases the efficiency of laser epilation.
In Whom the Laser Epilation Is More Successful?
Success in laser epilation is generally obtained faster in the light-skinned persons having dark hairs. When there are light-colored hairs, their destruction is harder by reason of that the hair follicles cannot absorb the laser beams adequately. The Alexandrite laser is generally more successful in the light-skinned persons than Nd: YAG lasers, by reason of the 755 nm wave length it uses. Especially in dark-skinned, brunet or bronze persons, because that the skin itself will absorb a part of the laser energy, there is great importance of the energy level adjusted in laser device to be used. In case of being used higher energy that adequate, there may be possibility of the laser beams to leave spots on the skin. But keeping the energy low decreases the efficiency of laser epilation and causes increasing of the session numbers. Nd:YAG laser may generally give result faster than the Alexandrite Laser does for the brunet and bronze-skinned persons by reason of the wave length of laser it uses. Above all, success in the laser epilation increases with using the laser “in the most appropriate type and energy level for the skin”.
Is There Any Other Factors Affecting the Result In Laser Epilation?
If there is any hormonal disorder of a person desiring to have laser epilation (polycystic ovary, hypothyroidis, hyperandrogenism etc.), firstly its treatment should be completed for the laser epilation to be successful. If the person takes a hairiness increasing medication, it should be known that the desired result cannot be gotten without discontinuing this medication.
What Are the Things To Do/Not To Do Before Laser Epilation?
It should not be made the processes of plucking from the root of the hairs in areas where laser epilation will be applied, by wax, tweezers and epilator within 4 weeks before the process. However, it recommended for the hairs in areas where laser epilation will be applied to be removed with the razor blade before 2-3 days.
