Laser Hair Removal Calculator

The R.A.D. Laser Hair Removal Candidate Calculator is an interactive and educational tool that helps potential customers determine what hair removal technologies are most suitable for them. Knowing what laser is most suitable for them, the candidates can now focus their search on providers that carry the specific laser technology. For example, an individual who learns that ND:Yag is the most suitable laser for his skin type, can now focus his search on providers that do carry ND:Yag lasers and eliminate quickly the other providers. The calculator can help to "protect" the candidate from providers who do not carry the appropriate technology but may market their technology as the appropriate one.

This calculator is by no means a replacement for the medical consultation required before the treatment.

How does laser hair removal work?

The laser uses a light beam to target the pigment of hair follicles. The energy delivered to the follicle destroys it and prevents the growth of new hair. This process is efficient when the skin is light and the hair is dark. When the hair is light and the skin is darker, more energy is delivered to the skin pigment and the impact on the hair follicle is diminished. In this case, not only is the laser less effective, but it can also damage the skin pigment and cause unwanted skin discoloration.

Alexandrite and diode lasers are the most effective lasers but they are limited to individuals with light skin and dark hair.

ND:Yag lasers can treat also people with dark skin and lighter hair. However, more treatments are required to achieve the desired results. ND:Yag laser uses a shorter light wavelength and delivers a lower level of energy. The shorter wavelength penetrates the skin without targeting the skin pigment, and carries enough energy to impact the hair follicle that resides in the dermis, the second layer of the skin.

There are no lasers to date that work well to treat white or grey hair.

IPL, or Intense Pulsed Light, is another technology that is used for hair removal. IPL is usually less expensive, though it is also less effective for permanent hair removal. IPL works somewhat effectively on light skin with dark hair but requires more treatments to get at the wanted results.

Electrolysis is the only technology that is suitable for all skin and hair types. Electrolysis utilizes an electric probes to target and destroy each hair follicle, one at a time. Electrolysis can be an effective solution for small areas with sparse hair.

Contraindications for Laser Hair Removal

There are some conditions that might prohibit, or require postponing of, laser hair removal treatments:

1. Current treatment with some oral medications, namely: Accutane/Isotretinoin or a Sun-Sensitizing agent. These require a "cooling" time of six months after stopping the medications before beginning laser hair removal treatment.

2. If the candidate suffers from a sunburn or rash, he/she should wait until it has resolved.

3. If the area to be treated is tan, treatment should be postponed by about four weeks to allow the suntan to fade.

4. Lasers should also be avoided if one has a pacemaker or if metal screws are present in the area to be treated.

5. Finally, a pregnant woman should not pursue laser hair removal.

The Laser Hair Removal Candidate Calculator

The calculator is designed to take the patient information as an input and to rate each hair removal technology, for that particular candidate, as an output. The input includes: skin type, hair type, whether tan is present or not, tendency to burn when exposed to the sun, and the density of his or her hair in the desired treatment area.

In addition, the calculator prompts the user to specify conditions that are contra indicators for laser hair removal.

The output rates the efficiency of each of the following laser technologies: Alexandrite Laser, diode Laser, ND:Yag Laser, Intense Pulsed Light, and Electrolysis.

First, the potential patient chooses their skin type from the following:

Very Light

• Light

• Mediterranean/Olive

• Japanese

• Chinese

• Light Brown

• Indian

• Dark Brown

• Black

Other parameter that defines the skin type is the skin tendency to tan. The user next describes how the sun impacts his/her skin by choosing one of the following options:

• Immediately Burn

• Sometimes Burn

• Rarely Burn/Usually Tan

• Never Burn/Always Tan

• No Impact

Next, the user selects his hair type:

• Black/Brown

• Light Brown/Red

• Blonde

• White/grey

DR. Franziska Ringpfeil is the medical director of R.A.D Laser Hair Removal of Philadelphia. Ringpfeil Advanced Dermatology of Philadelphia provides laser hair removal services to the Philadelphia, Main Line, and the Delaware Valley area.

Web masters are welcome to embed the calculator into their web sites. The calculator, as well as instructions how to embed the code, can be found at Laser Hair Removal Philadelphia

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