BOSTON The ability to shift wavelength emissions "on the fly" makes infrared flashlamp technology a safe and effective option for hair removal in all skin types, Dr. E. Victor Ross said at the annual meeting of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery.
In a study of 63 patients ranging in age from 16 to 50 years with Fitzpatrick skin types I-VI, laser hair removal with the Cutera ProWave 770 cooled sapphire infrared flashlamp handpiece resulted in a mean hair reduction 2 months after the final treatment of 35%67%, depending on skin type, said Dr. Ross of the Naval Medical Center in San Diego, who authored the study with Dr. Min-Wei Christine Lee of Walnut Creek, Calif.
Study participants underwent hair removal treatment without anesthesia in the bikini area, axillae, lower legs, upper lip, and/or chin, with the axillae and facial regions being the most commonly treated zones.
Hair thickness ranged from medium to coarse across all skin types and hair color ranged from light brown in skin types I and II to brown, dark brown, and/or black in all skin types.
Depending on hair type and amount, patients underwent one to four treatments at 4-week intervals.
A touch screen interface on the flashlamp handpiece enabled clinicians to automatically select the most appropriate treatment mode, which corresponds to different current densities, based on skin type.
"The ability to control spectral emissions in this way enables rapid and precise parameter titration for specific hair and skin types," Dr. Ross said. "The objective is to optimize treatment to destroy the hair follicle while sparing surrounding tissue."
Treatment efficacy was evaluated by global assessment of hair counts from photographs taken immediately before each treatment session and 2 months following the final treatment. For skin types I and II, the mean hair reduction 2 months after the final treatment was 67%, compared with 55% for skin types III and IV and 35% for skin types V and VI.
In terms of side effects, "there was some mild crusting, mostly in darker skin types, that resolved quickly," Dr. Ross said.
The ability to optimize wavelength ranges to specific skin types enables "a nice balance between safety and efficacy," and produces results similar to those seen with Nd:YAG lasers or with very long pulse 810-nm diode lasers, he added.
Dr. Ross reported receiving equipment and research support from Cutera.