Page 85 - Blog Posts v1

A24 - Hair removal using Diode lasers vs Nd:YAG, Alex lasers & IPLs
Hair Removal Systems
These days there are a number of different systems available for hair removal, which can make it a bit tricky when deciding which to purchase.
In particular, diode lasers are a different type of laser when compared to the other systems (and IPL). Here I outline some of the differences between these devices:
Diode Lasers
Nd:YAG, Alex Lasers / IPLs
Diodes are continuous
These systems output long pulses, typically longer than 1 millisecond
Energy/fluence increases with pulsewidth. Diode lasers can usually only increase their output energy/fluence by using longer pulses.
Lasers/IPL are powered by flashlamps, so, can change fluence independently of the pulsewidth. Higher voltages on the flashlamps means more energy without changing the pulsewidth.
Longer pulses generate higher temperatures in the absorbing targets (hair).
Shorter pulsewidths generate higher temperatures in the targets.
Diode Lasers and ‘Powers’ (Watts)
I often see diode lasers being quoted with ‘powers’ and I get confused by what they mean – like many people!
There are two main ‘powers’ to be aware of:
The first of these is the devices electrical power requirements. This is purely an electrical power requirement. It means that the laser’s power supply unit can output a maximum power of some level (maybe 1000W or 3500W, or something similar).
The second ‘power’ refers to the laser’s actual optical power output – the stuff that hits the skin!! This is NOT the same as the laser’s electrical power (see below). This is the power that is actually important. It tells us how quickly the energy or fluence may be supplied to the skin surface. A 1000W laser can deliver 1000 Joules of energy per second, whereas a 5000W can deliver five times that rate.
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