From the Cosmetic Surgery Centre, 890-A Yonge Street, Toronto, Canada 416-962-4444
- Use of the LightSheer® Diode Laser System for Hair Reduction: Safety and Efficacy in a Large Series of Treatments, 2001, Rube Pardo, MD, PhD, and Judy Fahey, RN
- An 800 nm high-power, long pulsed diode laser with contact cooling provides safe and effective reduction of pigmented hair in patients with a variety of skin types. This paper presents the safety and efficacy results of 800 treatments performed on 250 sites in 144 patients with Fitzpatrick skin types II-V. Over 84% of sites showed a good or excellent response following the second and subsequent treatments. Treatment responses were similar for all skin types treated, with an excellent safety profile. Side effects were noted in only two of the 800 treatments and were transient in nature. Patients were extremely or moderately satisfied with over 96% of their treatments.
- Laser Hair Removal: Scientific Principles and Practical Aspects, 1999, Christine Dierickx, MD
- The use of lasers for hair removal has been studied for a number of years. In this procedure, laser light is absorbed by melanin in the hair shaft, damaging the follicular epithelium. A clinical study evaluated the use of the LightSheer Diode Laser for hair removal. Of 92 patients, all had temporary hair loss and 89% had permanent hair reduction. Regrowing hairs were shown to be thinner and lighter than previously. Extensive clinical use of this high-power, pulse diode laser has resulted in recommendations for patient selection and proper use of the laser. Appropriate fluence settings have been shown to cause permanent hair reduction without damaging the epidermis, regardless of skin type.
- Study of Very Long-Pulsed (100 ms) High-Powered Diode Laser for Hair Reduction on All Skin Types, 2000, Eliot Battle, MD and R. Rox Anderson, MD
- An 800 nm diode laser with contact cooling and very long pulse widths provides for effective, long-term hair reduction of medium to course pigmented hair, even in some darker-skin patients. Very long pulse widths allow for all skin types to tolerate substantially higher fluences, and thus darker skin types can be safely and effectively treated. Additionally, preliminary results demonstrate that very long pulse widths do not significantly decrease the efficacy for medium to course hair reduction for any given fluence.
- LightSheer 800 nm pulsed, high-power diode laser hair removal system, 1999, Robert M. Adrian, MD, FACP
- Recent technological advances in laser hair removal have been accompanied by a tremendous degree of public enthusiasm for this procedure. Unfortunately, clinical studies regarding safety and efficacy of these procedures have lagged behind the actual widespread use of this modality throughout the world. Traditional methods of hair removal such as shaving, plucking, waxing, and electrolysis are associated with clinical limitations and side effects; thus the introduction of laser hair removal has been embraced by the public despite relatively little data regarding clinical safety and long-term efficacy. A Ruby (694 nm), alexandrite (755 nm) and diode (800 nm) are clinically compared.
- Diode laser-assisted hair removal in Asians: A study of 101 Japanese patients. Taro Kono, MD and Motohiro Nozaki, MD, Sept. 2000
- In this retrospective study of 101 Japanese patients, we were able to achieve temporary hair removal in all patients with even single laser treatments. Longer lasting results required multiple treatments, and 50% of all patients achieved 60% or greater permanent hair reduction. Complications were mild and transient, and to maximize treatment efficacy and safety, longer pulse durations and active skin cooling are critical for darkly complected patient populations. These initial experiences with the LightSheer system on an all-Japanese patient base demonstrated that 800 nanometer diode laser assisted hair removal can be performed as effectively and as safely on Asian populations as on Caucasian patients.
- Effective, Permanent Hair Reduction Using a Pulsed, High-Power Diode Laser, 1999, Christine C. Dierickx, MD, R. Rox Anderson, MD, Valeria B. Campos, MD, and Melanie Grossman, MD
- A solid-state, 800 nm pulsed near-infrared diode laser was studied for permanent hair reduction. The effect of laser fluence (energy per unit area), single vs. multiple treatments, and single vs. multiple pulses were determined in different skin types (Fitzpatrick`s type I through VI).
- Use of an 800 nm High-Power Diode Laser for the Treatment of Leg Vein Telangiectasia, 2000, Valeria B. Campos, MD, R. Rox Anderson, MD, and Christine C. Dierickx, MD
- Lasers have been used for hair removal since 1995, but few have had properties that are also effective in treating leg veins. This dose-response study at Wellman Laboratories on 25 patients with 200 treatment sites has determined parameters for an 800 nm high-powered diode laser. It has also resulted in recommendations for patient selection and a treatment protocol. Patients presenting with leg vessels between 0.4 and 1 mm have been shown to respond to laser treatment, with the results improving with the number of treatments and with time after treatment.
- Use of the LightSheer Diode Laser System for the Treatment of Benign Pigmented Lesions, 2000, Suzanne Kilmer, MD, Vera A. Chotzen, MD, and Marla McClaren, MD
- An 800 nm, high-energy, long-pulsed diode laser with contact cooling has been used to provide treatment for benign pigmented lesions in subjects with a variety of skin types. The overall safety profile was excellent with only minor side effects observed. Detailed descriptions of the use of the LightSheer diode laser system for pigmented skin lesions are presented.
- Laser Hair Removal with an 800 nm Diode Laser A Retrospective Study of 1,000 Women with Skin Types II to VI, 2002, Atif Kazmi, MD
- This retrospective study examined hair removal using the LightSheer system for 1,000 women with Fitzpatrick Skin Types II to VI. Overall, the women achieved satisfactory results within four or five treatment sessions, with hair reduction ranging from 70-95%.
- Safe and Effective Long-Term Hair Reduction in Tanned Patients Using an 800 nm Diode Laser, 2002, Valeria B. Campos, MD
- This study examined hair reduction in tanned patients, resulting in safe and effective long-term reduction of unwanted hair.
- Evaluation of a New 400 ms Extended Pulse LightSheer Diode System for Safe and Effective Laser Hair Removal, 2003, Vic A. Narurkar, MD
- The efficacy of the 400 ms setting for LightSheer is discussed.
- Coverage Rate: The Influence of Laser Parameters on Treatment Time, 2001, Kurt G. Klavuhn, PhD
- The influence of various laser parameters, including spot size and shape, are repetition frequency, on coverage rate and their impact on available fluence and pulse duration were analyzed. The Lumenis LightSheer XC Diode Laser System with a 12—12 mm beam and repetition rates up to 2 Hz provides the fastest coverage rate of all commercially available hair removal systems.
- Epidermal Protection: A Comparative Analysis of Sapphire Contact and Cryogen Spray Cooling, 2001, Kurt G. Klavuhn, PhD
- This study analyzed the effectiveness of sapphire contact and cryogen spray cooling in the context of laser hair removal. A detailed analysis of each technique including calculations of the skin’s thermal response to each cooling method before, during, and after treatment pulse were performed. The study concluded that sapphire contact cooling is significantly more effective than cryogen spray cooling in protecting the epidermis from unwanted thermal damage during laser hair removal treatment.
- Illumination Geometry: The Importance of Laser Beam Spatial Characteristics, 2001, Kurt G. Klavuhn, PhD
- The study analyzes the various aspects of illumination geometry in the context of laser hair removal. Detailed calculations of the influence of each aspect on the energy distribution during the treatment pulse were performed. By providing favorable index matching at the skin surface, sapphire contact enables the safe use of higher, more effective fluence levels.
- Laser Hair Removal, 1999, Rox Anderson, MD
- A lecture presented to the 77th Congress of the Japan Society of Aesthetic Surgery.
