How to choose a doctor the best laser for hair removal

The using of various medical laser systems to solve the problem of excess hair is currently very widely used by all leading medical centers around the world. The presence in any clinic of an effective and reliable laser system for hair removal automatically allows it to provide a large flow of customers, as Laser hair removal in Russia is currently one of the most popular aesthetic laser procedures.
Глубина проникновения лазера в кожу

Given the huge selection of laser equipment on the market, it is sometimes difficult for a doctor to choose the best laser for hair removal. What are the main factors to consider when choosing a professional laser system for hair removal?

The main factors when choosing a professional laser equipment for hair removal:

1)The presence of Russian RU and all documents required for licensing.

Despite the apparent simplicity of the procedure, it is and will certainly be a medically licensed procedure. This means that for its holding, the clinic or just an aesthetic center will have to fulfill a whole list of requirements, including to the used laser equipment.
Since the number of establishments offering laser hair removal services is constantly growing in each region and city, the attention of the Ministry of Health and the Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Welfare to such establishments is also growing every year. Therefore, if you are not counting on doing one-season business, you should seriously think first about the legal fundamental foundations of your business.

2)Wavelength and type of hair removal laser system.

The principle of photo selectivity, developed back in the late 1980s, is basic for the use of lasers in cosmetology, and it is even a superficial understanding of the effect of laser radiation on the target-environment system that avoids gross miscalculations when choosing a laser system.
Limiting ourselves to considering only the most common and popular laser systems on the territory of the Russian Federation, three types should be distinguished:
Alexandrite laser systems (755 nm). They are the most popular and effective for laser hair removal procedures for patients with I and II phototypes of skin according to Fitzpatrick (about 90% of the population of the Russian Federation have this skin type). The advantages of these systems is a very high degree of absorption of laser radiation by melanin, which is contained in the hair and, accordingly, a high degree of efficiency with a small number of procedures. Also, modern alexandrite laser systems allow you to vary the system settings (spot size, frequency, fluence) over a very wide range, which greatly increases the convenience and comfort of the doctor during the procedure. The main disadvantage of alexandrite laser systems is their relatively high cost, because almost all of them belong to premium laser equipment.
Nd:YAG laser systems (1064 nm). These laser systems are very common among a wide variety of manufacturers, as historically it was on neodymium laser emitters that the powers and energies necessary for a number of cosmetic procedures were first obtained. Therefore, almost any manufacturer of laser systems has in its line of laser equipment based on Nd: YAG or Nd: YAP crystals. Their popularity is due to the ability to carry out not only laser hair removal procedures, but also non-ablative rejuvenation procedures, treatment of vascular pathologies, etc. using the same equipment. The main disadvantage of neodymium laser systems is the weak absorption of their radiation by melanin, which is contained in the hair, therefore, as a rule, a large number of procedures are required when using neodymium laser systems for hair removal. But for patients with dark or tanned skin (type III-IV and above), neodymium laser systems are a priority for using.
Diode laser systems (808 nm). Diode laser systems are not directly related to laser systems because of their wide-spectrum emission spectrum and, accordingly, because of their weak photo selectivity. In this sense, diode laser systems are intermediate systems between IPL and laser systems. At the same time, diode laser systems are in demand on the Russian market because of their relatively low cost.

3)Ability to configure and select system parameters.

Without even delving deeply into the physical aspects and characteristics of any laser system, any doctor should certainly pay attention to the main parameters when choosing a laser system. For example:

The size of the spot of laser handpiece. For epilation, it is better to consider laser systems with a spot size of at least 18 mm, otherwise, when epilating large areas (back, legs, whole body), this procedure will be an unpleasant pastime for the doctor.
Repetition rate of laser system. The higher the frequency of work, the higher the speed of the procedure and, accordingly, the less time spent on the procedure. However, many manufacturers are involved in manipulating this parameter and indicate high frequencies in the product passport, but at the same time, which are functional only on small spot sizes. Therefore, it is always worth checking the actual frequency of work at the maximum spot size or at the spot size on which you or your doctor are going to work..
Possibility of changing pulse duration, fluence, etc.. Despite the fact that the pulse and fluence durations necessary for the effective and painless destruction of hair follicles have long been known and calculated based on the TRT (thermal relaxation time) of the follicle and other physiological parameters, additional adjustment of the parameters is necessary since hair lying in different parts of the body differ in their properties and therefore when epilating the whole body, the parameters need to be slightly varied.
The possibility of using cooling during the procedure, maintaining patient databases, etc.. Earlier laser systems used for hair removal did not pamper the working staff with convenience and comfort when choosing various options. But despite all the marketing assurances of the manufacturers that the hair removal procedure is absolutely painless, patients who have attended it at least once understand that there is discomfort during the procedure in sensitive areas. Therefore, the possibility of using additional cooling of the treated zones is an important factor. Also, the possibility of maintaining an electronic questionnaire for each patient inside the laser device itself will help the clinic provide laser services much better.

4) Service of laser equipment.

With any assurances of manufacturers or marketers of the reliability of laser systems, laser equipment, like any sophisticated equipment, requires high-quality and timely after-sales service, especially if there is more than one doctor, but several. The main service points that you should pay attention to when purchasing laser hair removal equipment:
– warranty period and lifetime of laser equipment.
– the cost of replacing consumables and their frequency.
– the presence of an authorized service center in your region or at least in the country.
– the possibility of upgrading the laser system.

The final decision when buying a laser system and choosing the optimal laser for hair removal by a doctor is recommended to be made only after demonstrating the capabilities of this system.