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Removal of unwanted hair: efficacy, tolerability, and safety of long-pulsed 755-nm alexandrite laser equipped with a sapphire handpiece

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Abstract

Due to the difference in refraction coefficients between air and the corneal epithelium, irradiation of the skin with a light source can lead to reflection of the energy and its leakage to the skin causes epidermal injury. All of which decreases the efficacy of treatment. We evaluated cooling sapphire handpieces’ efficacy in decreasing pain and epidermal injuries and enhancing the treatment outcome in laser hair removal. A total of 49 patients with Fitzpatrick skin types of II to IV were treated for laser hair removal on face, limbs, inguinal, and axillary areas with pulsed 755-nm alexandrite laser equipped with a sapphire handpiece and the cooling system. Hair counts were performed by two independent observers at the baseline and 3 months after the final treatment. A marked reduction in hair regrowth was noted 3 months after the final treatment in all body locations studied. Clinical hair reduction was observed and fully assessed. There were no serious side effects with an average pain score of 4.6 out of 40. The cooled sapphire cylinder tip has been shown to minimize epidermal injury and reduce the system energy leaks to the skin.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health Sciences, University of Catanzaro “Magna Graecia”, Viale Europa, Germaneto, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy

    Steven Paul Nistico

  2. University of Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy

    Ester Del Duca

  3. Department of Dermatology, University of Modena, Modena, Italy

    Francesca Farnetani, Stefania Guida & Giovanni Pellacani

  4. Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA

    Ali Rajabi-Estarabadi & Keyvan Nouri

Authors
  1. Steven Paul Nistico
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  2. Ester Del Duca
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  3. Francesca Farnetani
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  4. Stefania Guida
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  5. Giovanni Pellacani
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  6. Ali Rajabi-Estarabadi
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  7. Keyvan Nouri
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Correspondence to Steven Paul Nistico.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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All procedures were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Nistico, S.P., Del Duca, E., Farnetani, F. et al. Removal of unwanted hair: efficacy, tolerability, and safety of long-pulsed 755-nm alexandrite laser equipped with a sapphire handpiece. Lasers Med Sci 33, 1479–1483 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10103-018-2503-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10103-018-2503-z

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