Is the energy for Diode laser enough? (Photo)

Question

I am a female 23 years old of Indian descent.I got my first laser treatment on my full legs, full hands and even on face. The machine used was Vikini Treatment. It was set at 14 joules sq.cm and prr was 5. I am an Indian with skin type III with very very course dark hair. The doctor has recommended 4 sessions. Is the treatment and the power used enough?

Anil R. Shah, MD · Answer

LASER hair removal requires knowledge of both skin type and machine.  Most studies point to at least 20 J/cm2 to be effective for laser hair and we have found that higher settings are necessary for Indian hair removal. Keep in mind, older laser hair removal systems may not be able to safely remove hair in darker skin types if the cooling is inadequate.  Ineffective laser hair removal may be a result of inappropriate wavelength, underpowered laser (low fluence or hand piece that requires replacement), underlying medical or hormonal condition (i.e. polycystic ovary disease), or provider with not using appropriate technique or settings.

Indian hair tends to be coarser and requires appropriate fluence or power and wavelength.  Nd:YAG tends to require more treatments as it is not as efficient as newer generation diode lasers.  In my office's experience, diode lasers tend to be effective and safe at removing Indian hair.  IPL is not a good treatment option, particularly for Indian hair removal, as the level of power to treat hair effectively is typically not safe on Indian skin types.  IPL also takes much longer than diode laser systems.

There is no single best laser system, but characteristics of a good laser hair removal office and laser are as follows for Indian hair removal

-Experience treating Indian Skin- Staff must be knowledgable about Indian Skin and understand how to treat it.  If the fluence is too low, more hair can result (hypertrichosis) rather than hair loss

-Proper wavelength- Diode and Nd:YAG are the two best lasers for Indian hair removal.  In my office, we prefer the diode as it requires less sessions and tends to be more effective in targeting and treating hair (more hair removed per session)

-Appropriate cooling- All laser systems need cooling to provide safety and comfort.  Uncomfortable laser hair removal tends to result in lower laser hair settings and can cause actual more hair to occur rather than less hair.

Hope that is helpful.

Brian S. Biesman, MD · Answer

It is important to do your research before selecting a physician you are going to trust to perform your hair removal treatments. Once you have identified someone you can trust, I would recommend not micromanaging  their decision-making process.  If you have questions about how you were treated, I would recommend discussing those questions with your physician.

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