An in vivo study comparing the efficacy and complications of diode laser and long-pulsed Nd : YAG laser in hair removal in Chinese patients

Background. Lasers with long wavelengths are less well absorbed by melanin and are considered to be particularly suitable for hair removal in dark-ski nned patients. Objective. To compare the efficacy and complications of 800 nm diode and lo ng-pulsed 1064 nm Nd:YAG lasers in laser-assisted hair removal in Chinese p atients. Methods. Fifteen women had hair removal treatments (13 axillae and 2 legs) with diode laser on one side and Nd:YAG laser on the other. They were follo wed up for 36 weeks. Subjective assessments included the degree of immediat e pain and the degree of hair regrowth. Clinical photographs were taken for evaluation by two independent observers to assess complications and the de gree of hair regrowth. Results. Long-pulsed Nd:YAG laser was found to be significantly associated with a greater degree of immediate pain after laser surgery (P=.0001, indep endent sample t-test) and also had a longer laser time (P=.0001, independen t sample t-test). Besides transit adverse effects such as erythema and peri follicular edema, only one patient developed hypopigmentation at week 6 whi ch resolved by week 36. Although regrowth rates were low at week 6 (subject ive rates were 23% and 19% for Nd:YAG and diode laser, respectively), most patients had significant regrowth at week 36 (subjective regrowth rate 91% for both long-pulsed Nd:YAG and diode lasers). Conclusion. Diode 800 nm and Nd:YAG 1064 nm lasers are safe in laser-assist ed hair removal in Chinese patients, and besides immediate pain, there was no other significant adverse effect. Most patients experienced regrowth 36 weeks after a single treatment. Further study is necessary to determine the longterm clinical efficacy and complications of laser-assisted hair remova l with these systems in dark-skinned patients.