If you’re looking at investing in one of the latest Diode lasers for hair removal, there are some crucial facts you need to understand.
One of these is how fast the laser is. That’s because time is money! And if a treatment is going to take you 1hr 40 mins as opposed to 40 mins then you need to know.
I’ve been operating hair removal lasers for 17 years now – and it’s a complicated business. I’ve seen so many Salon and Clinic owners purchase the wrong type of equipment purely because they’re baffled by the suppliers.
So here I’m going to help with this jargon free guide, to help you understand the speed of lasers, and what to ask.
The Mode of Operation
Many Diode lasers can operate in 2 modes, which significantly impacts the speed of the treatment.
Mode 1 – This gets called many names include SHR (super hair removal), Slide and Glide, Pain-free mode etc. What this really means is that the Diode Laser is passed over the skin multiple times. So it’s like painting the skin over and over again, gradually building up the heat using low power.
It’s like getting into a bath and filling up the water gradually making it hotter and hotter. The heat builds in the hair follicle slowly to eventually destroy it.
Mode 2 – This is the standard laser mode. What this means is that the operator will pass over each part of the skin just once. You’ll just glide the handpiece over each area ONCE using a high power.
This is like jumping into a really hot bath – you will feel instant heat. So the instant creation of heat destroys the hair follicle.
Which is Quicker?
Here’s an explanation of laser speeds and how that makes one quicker and one slower…
Mode 1 – The Laser fires quickly but the treatment is slower. We are building up the heat gradually with a low power setting but using a very high speed setting.
So the laser may be firing at 10Hz which is 10 shots per second, but don’t let that fool you. This sounds fast – and it is fast. However because we are going over the skin many times (maybe even 10 times) then the procedure is actually slow if you are covering large areas such as full legs.
Mode 2 – The Laser fires slower but the treatment is quicker. We are putting all of the power (and heat) into a single shot, which is why we’re only passing over the skin once.
In this case the laser is firing at a much slower rate, around 2-3Hz. This might sound slow, but it’s isn’t slow in terms of the treatment because you are passing over just once, and not repeating yourself.
What you should ask?
Many Diode Laser suppliers will tell you that their machine is very fast, as well as its many other features. And it’s not that they’re being dishonest, because 10Hz is fast. However it’s the method of delivery which you need to understand.
- So you need to ask if the Laser operates in a traditional laser mode (single shot mode) where you are just lasering over the skin ONCE to complete the treatment.
Some Diode Laser companies will sill be very cagey about this and won’t necessarily understand it.
For example I was at a Beauty Exhibition just recently and asked the speed question. I was told that their machine could cover half legs in just 9 minutes! This is physically impossible for the laser they were showing me, which had a relatively small spot size and only operated in the ‘slide and glide’ mode.
What difference does the speed make?
If you are covering large areas such as full legs, full back, or multiple areas of the body then speed matters a lot. As we all know time is money. Not only that but clients don’t want to be lying there for 2-3 hours when they could have the job done in half the time.
- The difference might be 20-30 mins vs 50-60 mins for half legs.
- Or it could be 40-50 mins vs 1hr 50 / 2hrs for full legs
The other thing to consider is that it can be very repetitive doing SHR / slide and glide over very large areas, which isn’t good for your therapists.
You might have to consider repetitive strain, and just general apathy when it comes to using a ‘slow’ laser.
I personally would not use a Diode laser if it only operated in the SHR / slide and glide mode. Because in most cases there is no need to!
I hope this article has helped you with the question ‘How fast are Diode Lasers for hair removal’. If you have any more question then feel to email me here, and I’ll be happy to help you.