Page 63 - Chapter 3 - Fundamentals of Laser/IPL Hair Removal

Chapter 3 – Fundamentals of Laser/IPL Hair Removal 1st Edition
Plume in the Air
Plume is the technical name for particles of ‘stuff’ in the air. This stuff may be bits of hair, skin, clothing, burnt tissues, soot etc. When hair is treated by lasers/IPLs anything above the skin surface might be vapourised and carbonised. This will create a ‘puff of smoke’ – this is the plume!
Research in America has looked into the constituents of this plume using gas chromatography- mass spectrometry. What they found is disturbing. One set of researchers made this comment – the plume generated during laser/IPL hair removal must be considered a “biohazard, warranting the use of smoke evacuators, good ventilation, and respiratory protection.” Substances found in the plume include chemical such as benzene, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide. In total, they found 377 chemical compounds, of which 20 are known environmental toxins and 13 are known or suspected carcinogens.
The researchers strongly suggested using proper ventilation and smoke evacuators to minimise any risk to both laser/IPL operators and patients/clients. They also found that levels of these harmful chemicals were present in waiting rooms and other areas of clinics.
However, they concluded that it was not possible to determine precisely how much more at risk laser/IPL operators were, compared with normal everyday activities. They also noted that there is no evidence of any increased numbers of lung diseases or respiratory problems among laser/IPL users, at present.
The UK Council for Surgical Plume was established in 2019 to offer advice and assistance to anyone seeking further information on plume ejected during laser/IPL treatments. You can find their web site here. (http://www.ukcsp.co.uk)
Note: The information given above was taken from “Gaseous and Particulate Content of Laser Hair Removal Plume’, Chang, Farinelli, Christiani et.al. and may be found at https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamadermatology/fullarticle/2532614.
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