Candela Gentlemax Laser

What is the Candela Gentlemax laser?

The Candela Gentlemax is Candela's flagship laser for laser hair removal. It is a dual wavelength laser that is suited to performing laser hair removal on any skin type, from fair to dark.

The laser's two wavelengths are 755nm (Alexandrite laser), and 1064nm (Nd:YAG laser);

  • The 755nm wavelength is used for laser hair removal on fairer to olive skin types
  •  The 1064nm wavelength is used for laser hair removal on olive to darker skin types.

Laser hair removal works on the principle that the laser energy is more highly attracted to the hair than the skin. This preferentially heats the hair follicle to destroy the DNA that resides within it, whilst leaving the skin intact. The hair also dissipates this heat energy slower than the skin, which causes more heat build up in the hair than the skin.  Usually, multiple sessions are required to achieve the desired result -  long term hair reduction.

For more information on laser hair removal in general, please click here.








The Candela Gentlemax laser can also be used effectively for skin rejuvenation;

  • The 755nm is attracted to melanin in skin, and can be used to treat freckles or other (flat) brown spots on the face or body.
  • The 1064nm wavelength can deeply heat the dermis to achieve some skin tightening and general skin texture improvement through stimulation of collagen through deep heating.
For more information on laser treatment of the skin, please click here.

The Gentlemax laser has built in skin cooling features which reduce the side effects, risks, and discomfort associated with laser treatment. 

What is the difference between laser and IPL for hair removal?

Click here for more information.

 

What is the 755nm Alexandrite laser wavelength used for?

The 755nm wavelength, also known as the Alexandrite laser, is highly attracted to melanin. Melanin is what gives the hair and skin its colour, and therefore darker hair and skin has more melanin than lighter ones. Hair, however, contains a much greater amount of melanin than skin, which allows the laser to be preferentially attracted to hair.

Being highly attracted to melanin, the 755nm wavelength is suited to laser hair removal for lighter to olive skin types. These skin types have relatively less melanin than dark skin types, and this allows the laser to be safely used to target hairs without affecting the skin. The high affinity of the 755nm wavelength to melanin can make it more difficult to treat hair on darker skin types.

The other use of the 755nm wavelength is for skin rejuvenation, and in particular the removal of sun spots or freckles. As freckles and sun spots have a higher amount of melanin in them than the surrounding normal skin, they tend to be preferentially attracted to the laser energy. This helps to break down the sun spot/freckle and remove it from the skin.

 

What is the 1064nm Nd:YAG laser wavelength used for?

The 1064nm wavelength, also know as the Nd:YAG laser, is less highly attracted to melanin than the 755nm wavelength. It is more suited therefore to laser hair removal on darker skin types that contain more skin melanin.

The other use of the 1064nm wavelength is for skin tightening and skin texture improvements. It penetrates deeply into the skin and causes gentle heating of the skin that reorganises collagen and helps to tighten skin and improve its texture.

 

What is a variable pulse width?

The Candela Gentlemax laser can be adjusted to deliver pulses of laser energy over different times, ranging from 3 milliseconds to 300 milliseconds.  This is known as the pulse width. By adjusting the pulse width, it is possible to tailor the laser pulse to suit a particular hair thickness. For thicker hairs, a longer pulse width can be used, and for finer hairs, a finer pulse width can be used. Thicker hairs tend to dissipate heat more slowly than thinner hairs, and therefore laser energy can be applied to the thicker hairs over a longer period of time (ie longer pulse width), and still allow the heat energy to accumulate in the hair.

How and why are the skin cooled during laser treatment?

An important part of laser treatment for hair removal is safety, and ensuring that normal skin is not affected whilst the hairs are specifically targeted. Skin cooling is an effective and important part of achieving this. By cooling the top layers of skin, it is possible for the laser to penetrate to the hair follicle with minimal heating of the skin. Furthermore, cooling the skin prevents bulk heating of the skin when there are multiple laser pulses fired in one area, as occurs in laser hair removal. There are a few forms of skin cooling that are available, and the two that we use with the Candela Gentlemax laser are;

  • Cryogen cooling - very short bursts of cryogen are fired at the skin prior to the firing of the laser.  This cools the skin immediately prior to the firing of the laser. The advantage of this form of cooling is that it provides good analgesia for the laser shot. However, 'cold burns' can also occur from cryogen itself. Also, this form of cooling only cools the immediate area, and not the other adjacent areas that have been treated and may still hold heat.
  • Zimmer cooling - this form of cooling is akin to having an air conditioning unit blowing through a hose and onto the treatment area. It is a more constant form of cooling, and this allows generalised cooling of the skin, including the already treated areas. There is no chance of causing cold burns with this cooling method, and it is the preferred cooling method at our clinics.

What is the cost of laser hair removal? 

Click here for more information on the cost of laser hair removal.

 

Why choose The Victorian Cosmetic Institute as your laser treatment provider?

Because we have a large number of lasers available, we are able to tailor a treatment plan that is more specific to your skin type and skin concerns. We only use the highest quality lasers at our clinic to get you the best results.

Our doctors and nurses have been highly trained in laser use, including laser safety.

The first step is simply contacting us for your initial laser consultation, where we will discuss with you what is a realistic and achievable outcome, and what to expect from your laser treatment.

Making that first phone call about any cosmetic procedure can be a confronting task - many of our patients have preferred filling out our online enquiry form. We can then contact you with an understanding of the results you are hopeful of achieving and ensure the treatment is appropriate.

It's as easy as clicking either of the buttons below and completing the provided form. Otherwise, you can phone us directly on (03) 8850 0655 (Templestowe) or (03) 9707 0888 (Berwick).