Hi all - I am new to the forum and want to say thanks for everyone’s posting such valuable information and experiences. This really helps those of us out there looking for treatment.
I am trying to learn about LHR, but have to admit at getting confused about laser types. Andrea’s thorough FAQ describes 3 types: Alexandrite, Diode, and ND:Yag. The post re: current laser models, though, lists some additional “types”: IPL, Flashlamp, Ruby. I understand Ruby is no longer recommended (and maybe the same for Flashlamp?), but am trying to figure out if IPL is really a fourth type of laser, or are all the 3 types listed in the FAQ IPL?
Right now I am investigating Reveal Medspa’s Alase. That is a trademark of the spa, not the manufacturer I believe. I am trying to clarify, but someone at the spa left me a message that the model/manufacturer name is Estera Isolase (not sure about spelling).
Can someone explain IPL, if it’s a 4th “type” or is it a larger designation under which some of the 3 types fall?
Laser and Intense Pulse Light (IPL) are both light based treatments, however there is a difference between the two.
A laser only emits one wavelength of light, for example the Alexanderlite laser’s wavelength is 755nm. Where as IPL send out an uncoherent beam of light, basically there is a range of wavelengths in the light. Lasers usually yield better results than IPL’s.
To add my two cents, Before you schedule for a Laser hair removal treatment at a clinic, you should consult with a doctor first to ascertain if you are an apt candidate for the treatment. Your doctor will be asking you questions on your medical history and you will be made aware of the benefits and dangers of the procedure. You will also be asked of your expectations of the procedure and will be told also on what to expect after the procedure.
Sounds like Ayesha thinks this is a free advertising site.
To address your question, there is a section in the FAQs that describes the differences between true laser and IPL machines. They work a bit differently. Generally, true lasers in good hands get better results. Please read the entire FAQs including how to find a clinic near you. You should also run a search here for your city or state to see what clinics have been recommended in the past. I recommend you to consider true lasers first - decide what type you need for your skin type and look for places with that machine type.
Thank you BenjiBoy and lagirl. I’ve read the other sections of the FAQ and now have a better sense. It was confusing to see IPL listed as a laser type alongside Alexandrite, Diode, etc. but then not see it under the laser type section of the FAQ.
I’ve read some stuff which uses IPL and Flashlamp as comparable terms. I’ve been looking into Alexandrite lasers since these may be the most effective for me and especially the GentleLASE since it seems to be recommended here. The manufacturer’s own brochure on the laser, though, identifies it as a “Flashlamp excited longpulse Alexandrite laser”. http://www.candelalaser.com/products/gentlelase/GentleLaseBrochure.pdf
So confusing!
I have searched the boards for recommendations in my area (NYC), but didn’t find much. I think I should try a few more search strategies, though. (I’ve schedule one quick consult today at a lhr “spa”.) I also want to snap a pic of the fine hair on my face for your expert comments on if they might be treated with the Gentlelase. I have both thick coarse and thin fine hair on my face - and I already know I have PCOS and have done some research and know LHR isn’t necessarily the “solution” to my hormonal problems - and I am concerned that the lasers won’t be effective on the fine hair. If I get a chance, I may post a pic. I read one thread re: fine vs. coarse where some posters encouraged the OP to put a pic to get a better sense of her situation. Without a pic there didn’t seem to be a great conclusion to her question.
Again, thanks for your help and if you have any insight into GentleLase as flashlamp or fine vs. corase, I’d appreciate hearing it. THANKS!
Flashlamps are a power source. Different types of lasers have different sources to produce the laser beam, or IPL beam. Electricity, chemical reaction, or other lasers are also power sources. Flashlamp is often used as a synonym for IPL, but it is incorrect.
You should run an Advanced search so you can expand it to see discussions from the last 2-3 years and type “New York” instead of “NYC”. There are definitely lots of clinics in the area. Candela Corporation provider search will give you lots of options as well. Romeo & Juliette is one of the recommended clinics here in NYC. The owner contributes on this forum once in a while.
Let me try to clear up what you are stating here as it is not technically correct. There are two generic types of lasers; pump chamber and diode. We are speaking only about the pump chamber.
In a pump chamber laser, photons are injected into something called the lasing material (a crystal, a dye, or some other type of material that has the property of absorbing photons and releasing them at a particular wavelength). As more photons are injected into the pump chamber, the number of photons in the future laser beam is increased until one of the mirrors opens to let the photons stream out.
The power source of the laser is used to create the photons that are injected into the pump chamber. Flashlamps are not a power source. The flashlamp is basically a powerful flash that creates the photons (of various wavelength) that are injected into the lasing material. The power source is used to drive the flashlamps (generally there are two).
In an IPL, they forgo the pump chamber and only use the flashlamp. They have a photon guide that tries (using lens and other such devices) to focus the light through an aperture so that it can be efficiently directed at the target. This is why IPLs are less expensive, because they skip a few steps.
thanks, lagirl. i actually already did look up providers on candela, did some further reading, and had a quick consult w/ chris at romeo and juliette today! he is really fantastic. i will try to post separately about that experience in case it might be helpful to others. i think many of his posts didn’t come up on my first search b/c “new york” is mis-spelled in his profile.
one comment that chris made as we were discussing laser types and which to use on me is that the yag laser penetrates “deeper” into the skin for better results on really coarse hair. do you agree? i have very coarse thick hair on my chin and he think we should start with yag, then possibly switch to alexandrite. chris actually gave me two separate test patches, one w/ yag (a cynosure machine) on one side and one w/ alexandrite (the gentlemaxx machine) on the other. i should have written down the joules, spot size, etc. but unfortunately did not. does the “deeper” advice re: yag mag sense to you?
thanks, you are so great to reply to all of us on here!
This is sort of correct, sort of. Yes some hair is deeper but it isn’t strictly whether it is coarse or not. It more a function of the location of the hair.
Second, all things equal the YAG wavelength does penetrate farther than the alex wavelength. It also is less absorbed. But all things are not usually equal. The larger the spot size the deeper the effective penetration. My sense is that an 18 mm spot size in an alex will penetrate more effectively than a 10 mm spot size in a YAG. And with the improved absorption of the alex provide better results.