Hair Removal

How does it work?

The arena for Laser Assisted Hair Removal LAHR is a relatively new treatment, which has emerged, in the last 3-4 years. Demand for this procedure has grown as part of the consumers continuing pursuit for a safer and more effective method of epilation.

The use of electrolysis and electrothermolysis presently serves as a gold standard for epilation. However, while 100% efficacy has been reported, these gold standards produce as little as 15-50% permanent hair removal in other reports. Clinicians and patients alike often turn to other methods such as waxing, tweezing, mechanical epilation and chemical depilatories. These treatments alone or in combination are time consuming and may result in pain, erythema, contact dermatitis, folliculitis or scarring.

Laser treatment is new and the longest period for no re-growth reported in published literature to date is one year. Whilst it is difficult at this stage to claim that hair removal by laser is permanent a recent study published in the British Journal of Dermatology found that after 4 treatments 95% of patients rated their response to treatment as considerably improved.

Selective Photothermolysis

Laser assisted hair removal has recently received attention because of its ability to non-invasively remove large areas of unwanted hair with a minimal discomfort and a low incidence of complaints. There are currently multiple Lasers that can safely remove hair based on the Anderson Parrish’s 1981 principle of Selective Photothermolysis.

“When a pigmented target absorbs a particular wavelength of light in an amount of time that is shorter than or equal to the Thermal Relaxation time of the targeted structure, the targeted structure will be selectively destroyed without surrounding tissue injury”

Selective injury confined to the desired target tissue while sparing surrounding structures or tissue comprises the process of Selective Photothermolysis (for Long Pulsed Laser thermal mechanisms). The theory of hair removal using a Laser light source system uses Selective Photothermolysis to disable the target hair follicle whilst sparing the surrounding skin and other tissues.

When using a Long Pulsed Laser for hair removal such as the Polaris Long Pulsed Nd: YAG Laser the endogenous target chromophore is Melanin. This is found in the follicular germinal cells in the hair shaft and bulb. By selecting the appropriate wavelength of light able to be absorbed by Melanin from the absorption coefficient we are able to destroy the hair follicle. In order to damage these follicular structures the wavelength of light should be in the red and near infra red range of electromagnetic radiation 600-1100nm. As the light produces heat, when a sufficient amount is absorbed by the melanin in the follicle the follicle is destroyed.

Selective Targeting of Energy transfer/deposition

This assumes that the chromophore of the target tissue is better absorbed by the laser wave-length than by the overlying or adjacent 'interfering' chromophore.

In this process, the incident radiation must have sufficient energy and duration to injure the target, but not so energetic or long in duration that the delivered energy produces undesired "collateral" damage. This duration is termed the thermal relaxation time (TR). Where TR=d/g/td is target diameter, g is a geometric factor and td is thermal diffusivity or (2 x 1O-3cm2/sec).

Special considerations apply for melanin targeted laser hair removal, which utilises the melanin in hair as the absorbing target chromophore, since the overlying skin through which the laser must pass also contains melanin. Hair derives its natural colour from melanin pigments.

The latest innovation in Laser hair removal is to use the long pulse Nd:YAG laser emitting a wavelength of 1064nm. This wavelength has a significantly lower absorption rate by the chromophore melanin than shorter wavelengths previously used in Ruby and Alexandrite Lasers. This wavelength does however penetrate deeper into the skin. Therefore at this wavelength we are now able to treat a broader range of skin types including darker pigmented skins safely and effectively.

This has now been supported by clinical evidence.

MicroD

Ultrapeel Microdermabrasion Systems for unsurpassed results in skin resurfacing.

How does Ultrapeel work?

The Ultrapeel system utilizes a flux of microcrystals corundum powder that is directed to the skin surface through a sealed tubing system with a dedicated handpiece. The microcrystals are finally collected in a container that holds the contaminated waste materials. The delivery kit is produced in Glass Pyrex material and is the only sterilizable kit available on the market. It is also now available in plastic disposable bottles, which contain pre-packed medical grade corundum powder, which can be sterilized.

What can Ultrapeel treat?

Vascular

The Polaris LP Nd:Yag Laser for permanent hair reduction and vascular treatments.

The Polaris LP Nd:Yag Laser emits a beam of light at 1064nm. The energy is delivered in a 10ms pulse which is long enough to thermally destroy the follicle, but due to the thermal relaxation time of the skin confines the damage to the targeted follicle not the surrounding tissue.

Tattoo Removal

The Polaris Q-Switched Ruby Laser emits a beam of light at 694nm. The energy is delivered in a 25ns pulse at one pulse per second which is ideal for the treatment of pigmented lesions and the removal of tattoos.