As summer approaches, more and more people are getting not only facial but also body hair removal treatments.

　

While many receive these treatments casually, there are important points that both patients and doctors should be aware of when it comes to laser hair removal.

　

Sometimes, patients request specific laser energy levels such as, “Please use over XX joules,” based on information found online.

　

However, it is important to understand that laser energy should be adjusted according to the type of device, the cooling system, and the thickness of the hair. The effectiveness is not determined by the energy level alone.

　

Especially in “factory-style” clinics, laser settings may be too conservative or uniformly applied without considering hair type or skin tone, resulting in poor outcomes and leading patients to make such requests.

　

In this post, we’ll explore why laser hair removal sometimes doesn’t work and what practices can make it dangerous.

 

Inappropriate Cooling Methods and Laser Energy Settings

One key point that many practitioners tend to overlook is that cooling is the core of effective hair removal.

　

To safely increase the laser energy for better results, a proper cooling system is absolutely essential.

　

There are three main types of cooling methods:

　

1. Contact Cooling

A method that lowers the skin temperature by applying a metal cooling tip directly to the skin. Recently, it is less commonly used due to hygiene concerns.

　

2. Cooled Air Cooling

A representative example is the cold air device from Zimmer, used in the Apogee series. It can deliver cold air over a wide area, making it especially effective for body treatments.

　

3. Dynamic Cooling Device (DCD)

The Dynamic Cooling Device (DCD), used in systems like GentleMax and Clarity, sprays a cooling agent onto the skin to rapidly and efficiently lower the epidermal temperature.

 

(While air cooling is also available with GentleMax and Clarity, not using DCD significantly reduces the advantages of these devices.)

 

Precautions when using DCD:

Excessive coolant spray can cause frostbite or burns.

 

If the cooling timing settings (Pre / Delay / Post) are not properly adjusted, the laser may be fired when the skin is frosted white, rendering the treatment ineffective.

 

Since the cooling coverage area is narrow, using a large spot size may lead to insufficient cooling and increase the risk of burns.

 

Precautions when using Air Cooling:

Precautions:

 

It is essential to allow enough time for the cold air to sufficiently cool the skin. If the laser firing speed is too fast, the cooling may not keep up, increasing the risk of burns.

 

Because air cooling has a lower capacity to reduce epidermal temperature compared to DCD, using excessively high energy settings should be avoided.

　

※Even with high-performance devices like Clarity or GentleMax, using only air cooling is highly inefficient.

Use of Unhygienic Hair Removal Lasers

With older types of contact-based hair removal devices, it is often not possible to use high energy settings, which can reduce treatment effectiveness.

　

Moreover, there have been cases of improper hygiene management—such as using the same tip on the face of the next patient after it was used on the underarms, legs, or even the Brazilian area—without proper cleaning.

 

(Since patients are often blindfolded during the procedure, they may not realize it…)

　

Contact cooling itself is not inherently bad, but depending on how it’s used, the risk of infection can increase.

 

Laser Application on Areas with Incomplete Shaving

Hair removal works by concentrating energy on black hairs that contain melanin, thereby destroying the hair follicles.

　

However, if shaving is incomplete, the energy may concentrate on the surface of the skin (epidermis), resulting in reduced effectiveness and an increased risk of burns.

 

Hair Removal After Tanning

The 755nm long-pulse wavelength is also used for pigmentation treatments, so irradiating tanned skin can lead to pigmentation or dark spots.

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🧾 3-Line Summary

• Adjusting laser energy according to hair thickness, skin tone, and cooling system is key for safe and effective results.

• Using a large spot size and performing treatments quickly increases the risk of burns.

• For safety and optimal results, choose a clinic equipped with the right devices and cooling systems that can tailor settings to each patient.

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We hope this article is helpful for many readers.

 

If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment. We will respond sincerely.

 

Thank you.

 

📍 Primi Clinic

3F, 52 Seongsuil-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul (Primi Clinic)

 

📍 Primi Clinic
서울특별시 성동구 성수일로 52 3F (Primi Clinic)