What is the best skin cooling for laser treatments

контактное охлаждение кожи при лазерной процедуреThe use of a cosmetology laser almost always requires cooling measures skin. They are used to prevent burns and increase the comfort of the procedure. The need to use skin cooling depends on both the choice of the laser system and the type of procedure. For example, when using solid-state laser modules, the selectivity of laser radiation is much higher than when using diode lasers, so the likelihood of burns and other skin damage when using solid-state lasers is much lower. If, when using alexandrite or neodymium lasers, the use of cooling is rather recommended for some procedures, then when using diode lasers, cooling is an obligatory attribute of the procedure.

In addition, recommendations for using skin cooling depend on the type of procedure. For example, among aesthetic procedures, the most uncomfortable sensations for the patient are the removal of superficial vessels and sprockets, therefore, in this case, it is necessary to use cooling for all categories of patients.

Today there are 3 main types of cooling systems:

  • Cryogenic;
  • Contact;
  • Air.

All of the above systems have their own advantages and disadvantages, which will be discussed below.

Air cooling system

As the name implies, this system cools the treated area of the skin with a stream of cold air. A relatively common technological solution, it is usually installed on premium lasers.

It has very wide settings, but it has large dimensions comparable to the dimensions of the laser itself.

The advantages of these systems include:

  • Individual setting for each skin type.
  • Low operational costs.
  • Work regardless of the laser (can be used before and after the procedure).
  • Practicality of the system and ease of maintenance.
  • Ability to work with hard to reach areas.

Disadvantages of air cooling:

  • Additional costs (the VO system must be purchased separately from the laser).
  • Noise during work.
  • Large installation size
  • It takes some time (2-3min) before the system reaches its operating temperature after startup.

Cryogenic cooling system

The operation of the cryogenic system is based on the use of liquefied gas (freon), which is exactly the same (but of higher quality) as in refrigerators, air conditioners, and other household appliances.

Due to its complexity and high cost, freon cooling is quite rare. It is a fairly effective way to cool the treated area, which is both an advantage and a disadvantage of CCS. A high cooling rate allows to achieve a high speed of work, but due to technical problems or inexperience of the doctor, it can lead to overcooling of the treated area (unlike contact and air systems, which can only lead to burns due to insufficient cooling).

CCS has the following advantages:

  • The treated area cools very quickly.
  • The highest heat transfer.
  • The duration of exposure can be finely tuned.

The disadvantages of the cryogenic system:

  • The probability of hypothermia of the epidermis.
  • Using cheap low-quality freon leads to breakdown.
  • Due to the short exposure, there is no removal of residual heat from the deep layers of the skin.
  • The fast consumption of freon, the need for frequent replacement of expensive “consumables”.

Contact cooling system

Contact cooling is a fairly common way to protect the patient’s skin. As the least complex technical solution, contact cooling system is often used in low-cost laser systems.

However, sometimes contact cooling is also used in high-end devices. In such devices, sapphire glass is used as a contact element, because of all minerals sapphire has the lowest degree of absorption of electromagnetic radiation, with satisfactory thermal conductivity.

The main advantages of contact systems:

  • Installation works silently.
  • The use of small cheap and few “consumables”.
  • The cooling surface also acts as a limiter, preventing the laser from approaching the minimum allowable distance.
  • Ease of use and practicality

However, contact cooling system has such significant disadvantages as:

  • Large nozzles interfere with hard to reach areas of the skin and limit the visibility of the doctor.
  • Inadequate hygiene.
  • The need for tight skin contact with the cooling element.
  • Most  contact cooling system do not have the ability to cool before and after the procedure.
  • At a pulse frequency above 1 Hz, the system is not efficient enough.

Conclusions

A modern cooling system should provide not only safety, but also comfort and speed of the procedure. Beauty salons and clinics that satisfy these requirements can count on customer loyalty and good reviews. Therefore, manufacturers of medical lasers and peripherals are constantly working to improve the quality of customer service and satisfy all its requirements.