January 4, 2009
Basic Laser Hair Removal Terminology
It is important to understand the basic terminology used in laser hair removal techniques. This gives you a better understanding of what the procedure entails. It also helps to put many people at ease to completely understand the words used in the treatment.
Absorption is the uptake of one substance into another.
Active medium is the part of the laser that absorbs and stores energy.
American bikini wax, is a standard bikini wax in which hair is removed from either side of the panty line at the top of the thigh.
Anagen is the growth phase in the hair cycle in which a new hair is synthesized.
Brazilian bikini wax, is a bikini wax in which all of the hair is removed in the pubic region, including the hair on the buttocks and labia.
Catagen is a transitional stage of a hair’s growth cycle, occurring between the growth and resting stages.
Chromophore is a group of atoms in a molecule that produces color through selective light absorption.
Coherent light are light waves that travel in parallel, and in the same direction.
Dermal scattering is the change that occurs between the laser’s spot size at the surface of the skin and the spot size deeper in the tissue.
Dermis is the underlying or inner layer of the skin.
Electrons are stable, negatively charged elementary particles that orbit the nucleus of an atom.
Energy source is the device in the laser that supplies energy to the active medium.
Epidermis is the thin outermost layer of the skin.
Excited states is the conditions of a physical system in which the energy level is higher than the lowest possible level.
Fissure is a crack or cut in the skin.
French bikini wax, is a bikini wax in which all of the hair is removed from the pubic region except for a stripe of hair on the pubis.
Hair follicle bulb is the bulbous base of the hair follicle that houses the dermal papilla.
Keloids scars are raised areas of fibrous tissue.
Melanin are grains of pigment that give hair and skin its color.
Monochromatic light is of one wavelength, and therefore appears as one color.
Nanometers are each one billionth of a meter.
Optical cavity is a part of the laser that contains the active medium.
Polychromatic light consists of light of multiple wavelengths, appearing as different colors.
Pulse duration is the duration of an individual pulse of laser light, which is usually measured in milli-seconds.
Selective photothermolysis is the selective targeting of an area using a specific wavelength to absorb light into that target area sufficient to damage the tissue of the target while allowing the surrounding area to remain relatively untouched.
Spontaneous emission is the process or an excited atom, after holding extra energy for a fraction of a second, releases its energy as another photon then falls back to its grounded state.
Spot size is the width of a laser beam.
Terminal hair is hair found on the scalp arms legs Alexa lay in pubic areas.
Vellus hair is generally fine, non-pigmented hair found on the face that is often called peach fuzz.
Wavelength is the distance between two consecutive peaks or troughs in a wave.
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