Settings for Yag laser

Hair Removal Methods Laser hair removal
#1

Hello. First of all, thank you so much for all the postings, this is so helpful.

I have a questions I am hoping to get answer for. I just did laser on my arms. I believe the machine was GentleMax. The settings were Yag, 15mm spot size, 44J and 10ms pulse. Does this sound good for a Mediterranean person?

I am thinking if I would be better off doing 18mm spot size and 30j?

Also, what is exactly is pulse? I hear it should be low for better results, but I don’t understand why.

I would very much appreciate help/answers!

#2

Are you sure those were the settings? I believe on the Yag portion of this machine, the max joules on 15mm spot size are 40j.

If you can handle those settings on the Yag, you may be able to handle decent settings on the alex as well. Did they test that first?

Pulse width is how fast the energy is being delivered. 10ms means 10 milliseconds. Basically, more pulses are being fired in a short amount of time. They created longer pulsewidths in order to cater to darker skin, i.e. slowing down the number of pulses delivered at one time.

#3

I discussed the settings with the nurse and that is what she told me …

I have done 3 treatments with Alex (arms) - 10j, 12j and 14j. Not only it did not help, it got much worse - I have more hair now.

Now that I read these posts, I am wondering - next time should I insist on doing 16j with Alex, or may be Yag with 18mm, 30J, 3ms, or should I stay with 15mm ,44J (or whatever the highst is)10ms?

Any ideas? Thanks so much!

#4

We should start by figuring out whether your hair is the right type for laser. Can you post photos? Use Photobucket. The hair needs to be coarse and dense for laser to affect it. What part of the arm are you treating? How much of the hair is coarse? Coase is the type of hair you have on your face, where there is a shadow from shaving and/or stubble.

Since you’re in between skin types, you need to figure out whether you can handle high enough settings on an alex first. If you can’t, then you’d have to use a Yag.

On GentleLASE, on 18mm, 20J is max with a fixed 3ms pulse. 30j, on 15mm.

On GentleYAG, on 18mm, 30J is max and pulse is variable at 3ms+.

It’s always best to treat with the largest spot size.

#5

I think the machine they have is GengleMax - it is my understanding that it incorporates GentleLASE and GentleYAG together.

As to my hair type, I am a female. I treated entire arms - end-to-end. My arm hair is dense, but not coarse. Not too dark either, it is brown, long and for the most part thin. It is darker than my skin.

Thank you for your answers. I think I will try using the highest Alex settings and Yag settings next two times and will see if any one of those helps.

#6

What you describe doesn’t sound coarse enough for laser. Almost no women have hair that’s coarse enough on upper arms. Some have lower arm hair that’s coarse enough. I would definitely NOT treat upper arms. You can actually induce MORE hair by doing that.

Coarse is the type of hair you have on underarms and bikini, the kind that leaves a shadow or stubble when shaved.

#7

Upper arms are areas that have a pretty well-documented history of having MORE hair growth if treated with laser on fine hair (as LAgirl said). I would never do that area if I were you, you’re risking some really awful hair growth a year down the road. Just get electrolysis for this area, and continue with laser for the lower arms if you think it’s coarse enough down there.

#8

I agree with Kitty here. I had a client who had done work on the back and arms who switched to LASER, and the stimulated growth erased the reduction we had achieved from our electrolysis sessions, and now we have to start all over.

You know that feeling when you hit print for your 25 page term paper, and the computer crashes, and you lose everything, and sit there contemplating restarting from zero. Yeah, that feeling. :frowning: