[Dr. Bellview Column 60.] Why We Recommend the Apogee Plus Hair Removal Laser

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Good conditions for a hair removal laser

Today, I’d like to talk about the Apogee Plus laser used for hair removal procedures. First, we need to understand the basic principle of hair removal lasers. Simply put, they attack only the hair follicles without damaging the skin. To remove hair, the follicles hidden deep within the skin must be destroyed. That is why strong thermal energy is used. In this process, strong heat does not just damage the hair; there is also an unavoidable risk of burning the skin surface.

As a result, a “good hair removal laser” is one that can “attack only the hair while minimizing skin damage.” The Apogee Plus that I’m talking about today meets all of these conditions well, which is why many dermatology doctors prefer it. If there is a downside, it is that the equipment is rather expensive... The Apogee Plus device is a high-priced machine, so the procedure cost may be relatively expensive. This can be an economic burden for patients. Bellview Clinic also uses Apogee Plus as its hair removal laser, but we have kept the treatment cost as low as possible. If you are interested, please refer to the price list on our website. Now, let’s take a closer look at the device.

In lasers, the 'wavelength' is important. The reason is that, depending on the wavelength, it is absorbed by specific colors in our body and produces a destructive effect. If you use a wavelength that is absorbed strongly by black, it will act on black hair. When classifying laser wavelengths, there is a table that shows the degree of response to specific colors (black, red, blue), and what you should look at here are the black line and the red line.

The black line should be high, and the red and blue lines should be low. Find two lasers that meet these conditions.

Because most of the skin is made up of water, we also look at the response to water (blue). Above all, for hair removal, the response to black needs to be high, while the response to red should be relatively low. Also, if the response to water is too high, the skin surface can burn, so the response to water should also be relatively low. The laser types that meet these conditions are the '755nm Alexandrite' and '805nm diode' lasers. As you can see in the table above, the Alexandrite laser and the 805 diode show a high response to black and a low response to red.

"According to this principle, hair removal lasers can be broadly divided into

Alexandrite-based

and diode-based lasers."

There is another important condition for a good hair removal laser. It must cool the skin surface well so that heat generated by thermal conduction during hair removal does not raise the temperature of the skin surface, and so that heat is delivered only into the skin. In summary, a good hair removal laser needs 1> a wavelength that selectively destroys only black, and 2> effective surface cooling. Many doctors think that the Alexandrite-based Apogee Plus, which satisfies both of these conditions, is the best hair removal laser. There are also diode-based lasers and various other hair removal lasers.

The Apogee Plus laser is manufactured by a U.S. company called Cynosure. Cynosure is a globally renowned manufacturer of hair removal laser equipment, especially well known for products based on Alexandrite laser technology.

Cynosure

Founded: Cynosure was established in 1991.

Main products: It manufactures a wide range of aesthetic and skin treatment devices, including hair removal, skin rejuvenation, and wrinkle improvement.

Technical capability: Cynosure provides safe and effective treatment solutions using laser and optical technology.

The Apogee Plus is the culmination of this company’s technology and is a device that can use 755nm and 1064nm wavelengths at the same time.

Although wavelength is important in lasers, it is also very important how evenly the laser operates and how stably it maintains its output. For that reason, there are not many companies that can make Alexandrite lasers, and in Korea they only recently started making them. Naturally, their technology is bound to be inferior to Cynosure’s. As a result, many people prefer Alexandrite (Apogee Plus), saying that it is not very painful during treatment. In fact, diode lasers are relatively easy to make. That is why many low-cost domestic hair removal devices have been released for a long time, and from my brief experience using a few domestic diode hair removal lasers, honestly, the hair removal performance is not that...

In particular, diode lasers work by fully contacting the skin and delivering the laser, so cooling the skin surface is very important. If cooling is not sufficient, burns can occur on the skin surface, so excellent cooling performance is important. In my personal opinion, at least when it comes to cooling, low-cost lasers still seem to struggle a bit. That is probably why patients feel so much more pain.

Just by looking carefully at the table above, you can see that Alexandrite has a somewhat higher absorption response to black than diode, while its response to red is lower. In other words, the Alexandrite-based Apogee can be considered safer. The way the laser is used is also different. Diode-based lasers are in contact with the skin, while Apogee is a non-contact method, so the risk of burns is lower, and it has the advantage of being more hygienic when treating intimate areas. It feels a little unpleasant for a laser that touched someone else’s skin to touch your sensitive area again.

As I was explaining, the praise came naturally. The fact that I use Alexandrite lasers is also why I recommend Apogee Plus. The device may differ depending on which doctor uses it. The results and side effects of laser treatment can vary greatly depending on which laser is used, by which doctor, for which patient, and in what way. What I mentioned here is only a rough principle and concept, and I would like to emphasize once again that this does not deal with absolute medical rules. Finally, let’s take a look at the disadvantages of Apogee Plus.

Disadvantages of the Apogee Plus laser device

As mentioned earlier, the Apogee Plus device is a high-priced machine, so the procedure cost may be relatively expensive. This can be an economic burden for patients. Another drawback is the limitation of the cooling method. Air cooling has the advantage of not requiring consumables, but some patients may feel that it is less effective than the DCD (Dynamic Cooling Device) method. In particular, when removing hair above the lip or beard hair, the wind may make it uncomfortable to breathe. Also, as with all laser procedures, Apogee Plus can have side effects as well. For example, folliculitis or skin irritation may occur depending on an individual’s skin condition.

Comparison between Apogee Plus and other hair removal lasers

To briefly summarize, the Apogee Plus laser is a device that is very effective for hair removal treatment and has good pain management. Therefore, the treatment cost can be relatively higher. On the other hand, other hair removal laser devices are cheaper, but pain and side effect management during treatment may be lacking. It would be good to keep these points in mind, wouldn’t it?

That concludes my explanation of why Apogee Plus is widely used as a hair removal laser, and why it is said to be effective and less painful. I hope this helps you a little in understanding or receiving hair removal treatment in the future. ^^

Today’s post ends here.

Thank you for reading.

This was Dr. Bellview~!

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