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5. Pulsewidth (pulse duration or ‘cooking time’)
Laser & IPL:
The pulsewidth is the length of time that the light energy is ‘ON’. It is also known as the pulse duration or pulse length.
I call it the ‘cooking time’ (when using photothermal systems like IPLs).
I think this expression better describes what is actually occurring in the tissues. In most photothermal treatments we are trying to break down the target proteins – another name for ‘cooking’.
Now, everyone knows that putting an egg into a pot of boiling water for only 5 seconds will not cook the egg properly! It will be mostly uncooked.
If it stays in the boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes, it will be cooked thoroughly.
The same goes for fried eggs....
This is precisely what we are trying to do with photothermal treatments like the removal of hair or blood vessels. The trick is to achieve the correct temperature for the most appropriate time.
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