I'm considering laser hair removal for my legs, underarms, and a patch on my lower back. There are so many lasers (CoolGlide, Lightsheer, etc) and so many terms like (Nd:YAG, diode, etc) that it's overwhelming! What are the differences? For someone with pretty low pain tolerance and FP skin II, what would be the best? I know numbing cream can be applied. Also, maybe its a dumb question but do I need to shave/grow the area to be treated? Does that matter or help/hurt my results?
August 27, 2015
Answer: For light skin type, 2 basic lasers for laser hair removal The most effective laser for light skinned hair removal are the diode laser and the alexandrite laser. I find the Lightsheer Duet to be fairly comfortable and very quick, with no topicals needed. The hair needs to be shaved the morning of the procedure. The YAG laser is safer for darker skin types but not as effective. The other type of laser is a Ruby laser and this was the first laser used for this. It is not a good choice anymore for LHR because the other laser are better.
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August 27, 2015
Answer: For light skin type, 2 basic lasers for laser hair removal The most effective laser for light skinned hair removal are the diode laser and the alexandrite laser. I find the Lightsheer Duet to be fairly comfortable and very quick, with no topicals needed. The hair needs to be shaved the morning of the procedure. The YAG laser is safer for darker skin types but not as effective. The other type of laser is a Ruby laser and this was the first laser used for this. It is not a good choice anymore for LHR because the other laser are better.
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August 27, 2015
Answer: Laser options for hair reduction Hello, You are right, there are many options. We at Paradise Valley Dermatology prefer "laser" as opposed to "light" devices. Because you are a skin type 2, you should be safe with either the GY 1064 wave length, or the GL 755 wave length. Persons with darker skin types should only be treated with the GY 1064. One of the devices we use is the Gentle Max Pro by Candela. The device has both 1064 & 755 wave lengths and is safe for all skin types. One of the benefits of this device is the patented Dynamic Cooling Device (DCD) or air cooling. A burst of cryogen is sprayed as the laser pulses to cool the surface of the skin making it more comfortable. Some facilities may use topical numbing, but large areas like legs are hard to cover with numbing cream and usually not done. You should shave the area to be treated prior to the laser treatment. Good Luck!
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August 27, 2015
Answer: Laser options for hair reduction Hello, You are right, there are many options. We at Paradise Valley Dermatology prefer "laser" as opposed to "light" devices. Because you are a skin type 2, you should be safe with either the GY 1064 wave length, or the GL 755 wave length. Persons with darker skin types should only be treated with the GY 1064. One of the devices we use is the Gentle Max Pro by Candela. The device has both 1064 & 755 wave lengths and is safe for all skin types. One of the benefits of this device is the patented Dynamic Cooling Device (DCD) or air cooling. A burst of cryogen is sprayed as the laser pulses to cool the surface of the skin making it more comfortable. Some facilities may use topical numbing, but large areas like legs are hard to cover with numbing cream and usually not done. You should shave the area to be treated prior to the laser treatment. Good Luck!
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