What are the Differences Between Alexandrite Laser and Diode Laser? As laser hair removal technology continues to ...
What are the Differences Between Alexandrite Laser and Diode Laser?
As laser hair removal technology continues to advance, new techniques and laser types are coming into play.
While laser hair removal is currently FDA-approved for semi-permanent hair removal, the number of treatments, the color of your hair and skin, and even the type of laser used during treatment can play a significant role in your journey toward reducing hair growth and achieving lasting results.
Not all doctors use the same types of lasers, and it's always good to know which one is suitable for you when seeking effective laser hair removal treatment. In this article, we will explore the Diode laser and Alexandrite laser to determine whether one performs better than the other.
What is Alexandrite Laser Hair Removal?
In Alexandrite laser hair removal, it operates at a 755nm wavelength, which is shorter than the Diode laser, and is effectively used for laser hair removal treatment in skin types I to IV. The shorter wavelength theoretically makes the treatment more effective on lighter skin compared to darker skin.
With a larger spot size, Alexandrite can cover larger areas quite quickly, making it the best choice for areas like the back or chest.
What is Diode Laser Hair Removal?
The Diode laser, on the other hand, has a wavelength of 800 or 810 nm. This longer wavelength theoretically provides deeper penetration into the skin by avoiding melanin in the epidermis, directly targeting the hair follicle.
In theory, the longer wavelength helps prevent skin damage and pigment changes that can occur with shorter-wavelength laser types. Diode laser performs well on coarse, dark hair and is a good choice for areas like the back or bikini line.
Differences Between Alexandrite Laser and Diode Laser
Both types of lasers are commonly used for laser hair removal treatments, but Diode laser hair removal devices are slightly newer in the market compared to Alexandrite.
While both laser types are widely used on skin types I-IV, we wanted to find out if one provides more effective results than the other.
We examined a clinical trial titled "Long-Term Efficacy of 808 nm Diode Laser with Continuous Linear Scanning for Hair Removal Compared to Scanned Alexandrite Laser" to see what each laser treatment would bring in terms of long-term results, comparing an Alexandrite laser with a scanned 808 nm Diode laser for hair removal.
Here are the details of the study:
- Both Alexandrite and Diode lasers were applied to 31 patients (both men and women) with skin types ranging from I to IV on the Fitzpatrick scale to review the long-term efficacy of both laser types.
- Patients received 6 treatments on their underarms with a 4-week interval.
- The right underarm was treated with the 755 nm Alexandrite laser, and the left underarm was treated with the continuous linear-scanning 808 nm Diode laser.
- Hair density was recorded before treatment, immediately after the 6th treatment, and 18 months after the last treatment.
Results of the Study:
- Immediately after the last treatment, significant reductions in hair density were observed for both types of lasers (72.16% for Diode and 71.30% for Alexandrite).
- At 18 months post-treatment, the reduction in hair growth was still significant for both laser types (73.71% for Diode and 71.90% for Alexandrite).
- While more patients reported redness and raised red bumps on the skin when treated with Alexandrite laser, all side effects were minimal and quickly resolved.
- 62.50% of the patients found the Diode laser to be more painful than Alexandrite, but all patients agreed that both lasers were tolerable in terms of pain.
The conclusion of the clinical research determined that both Alexandrite and Diode lasers provide significant and long-term results when used for laser hair removal treatment on skin types ranging from I to IV. Both laser types showed comparable results immediately after treatment and 18 months later.
While Alexandrite laser treatment may lead to more temporary and benign side effects (redness and red bumps on the skin), Diode laser might be slightly more painful. However, both lasers provided significant results following clinical trials, and these results persisted even 18 months later.
Therefore, it can be said that both laser types perform equally well on skin types from Fitzpatrick scale I to IV and on dark-colored hair.
In summary, you are unlikely to see a significant difference in the results with either laser type.