Page 87 - Chapter 3 - Fundamentals of Laser/IPL Hair Removal

Chapter 3 – Fundamentals of Laser/IPL Hair Removal 1st Edition
The Technology – Lasers and IPLs
In this section we will briefly introduce some of the technology used for hair removal today:
Diode Lasers
Lasers and diode lasers are different types of devices, although they both produce high energy light. A ‘standard’ laser must consist of a number of components in order to generate a coherent, monochromatic beam. These include a medium which determines the laser’s wavelength, a lamp (or high voltage) to stimulate the laser emission, a reflector and two mirrors.
Diagram of a ‘conventional’ laser
All lasers have a source, which determines the laser output parameters, a pumping source, usually a lamp, mirrors and internal reflectors – all contained within a laser cavity. (Semi-conductor lasers are quite different in that they are essentially little electronic circuits).
Most lasers can produce a single, monochromatic wavelength – i.e. a single coloured beam.
Typical diode laser heads
Mirror R=100%
Lamp
Laser rod Mirror R<100%
Reflector
Collimated beam
Diode lasers are ‘semiconductors’ – these are electronic devices which use can generate laser light.
Unlike conventional lasers, they do not use flashlamps or similar to stimulate the laser activity. This generally makes them fairly robust but they still must be treated carefully to ensure efficiency.
Diode lasers are quite different to standard lasers in that they are purely electronic devices, whereas a conventional laser is ‘opto-electronic’.
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