Which laser device do I use when? SIACSKIN devices in direct comparison
Many devices can do similar things, but not the same thing. Two lasers have Nd:YAG in their name and completely different jobs, light and laser both treat pigment, and tightening works differently with needles than with a laser. This page answers the question that comes up most often in day-to-day work: which device do I use when?
The SIACSKIN devices are compared in pairs and by use: DEWEON 4LD, AlexDUAL UFO and VCL DERMALIGHT, TULIX and PICOLO XL, EUPHEUS and TULIX, DERMAFORCE BBL PRO and the lasers. It also covers face or body, dark skin types and the question of which device covers the most treatments.
DEWEON 4LD, AlexDUAL UFO or VCL DERMALIGHT: which device do I use for which hair?
For dark hair on all skin types you use the diode laser; for fair skin with dark blonde to dark hair and for very dark skin, the alexandrite and Nd:YAG laser; and for light, blonde and fine hair, the LED system. Lasers need melanin in the hair as a target. The darker the skin, the longer the wavelength has to be so that the epidermis is spared. Very light and fine hair contains too little pigment for the laser. White, grey and red hair hardly responds to light.
The DEWEON 4LD is the diode laser with four wavelengths for all skin types. The AlexDUAL UFO works with alexandrite 755 nm for light skin types and Nd:YAG 1064 nm for dark skin types. The VCL DERMALIGHT is not a laser but an LED system for light and fine hair.
TULIX or PICOLO XL for dark spots: when do I use which device?
You use the picosecond laser for individual, clearly defined spots, and the thulium laser for fine pigment spread over a whole area and for melasma. A pigment laser uses a small spot size to hit exactly the spot and breaks up the pigment; 1 to 3 sessions are usually enough. If there are many fine speckles, an uneven skin tone or melasma, working dot by dot would be too laborious, and melasma does not tolerate powerful single pulses. In that case the non-ablative laser renews the entire epidermis in a course of usually 3 to 5 sessions.
The PICOLO XL works with 280 ps, spot sizes of 2 to 10 mm and, among others, the wavelengths 532 and 1064 nm. For melasma, it is only an option when used over the whole area with 1064 nm and very low energy. The TULIX lists melasma, sun damage and pigment disorders as applications and is specified for all skin types.
EUPHEUS or TULIX: when do I use RF microneedling and when the thulium laser?
You use RF microneedling when the skin has lost firmness or when deeper scars and stretch marks are the concern, and the thulium laser for skin tone, pigment, pores and fine lines. The RF needles deliver heat directly in the connective tissue and largely leave the surface alone. This tightens, but does not change colour or pigment. The laser works from the surface and renews it, but hardly lifts tissue that has dropped. Mature skin often calls for both, in which case the procedures are planned one after the other.
The EUPHEUS works with bipolar RF microneedling and needle depths of up to 7 mm and lists skin tightening, acne scars and stretch marks as applications. The TULIX combines 1927 nm thulium for the epidermis with 1550 nm erbium glass for the dermis.
AlexDUAL UFO or PICOLO L and PICOLO S: what is each Nd:YAG laser intended for?
The long-pulsed Nd:YAG laser is intended for hair removal, the short-pulsed one for tattoos and pigment. Both work at 1064 nm; the difference lies in the pulse duration. Pulses in the millisecond range heat the hair follicle long enough to damage it, while sparing dark skin. Pulses in the nanosecond range are far too short for that. They generate a pressure wave that breaks ink pigments and melanin down into fine particles. The devices are therefore not interchangeable.
The AlexDUAL UFO uses the Nd:YAG laser with pulse durations of 0.3 to 100 ms for hair removal on dark skin types. The PICOLO L and the PICOLO S are Q-Switch Nd:YAG lasers for tattoo removal, pigment treatment and carbon peels. SIACSKIN specifies the Long Pulse mode of the PICOLO L for pigmented lesions, not for hair removal.
When is the DERMAFORCE BBL PRO no longer enough, and when do I need a laser?
You need a laser as soon as darker skin types, melasma, deep-seated pigment, scars or tattoos are to be treated. Broadband light is strong on superficial spots and redness on fair to medium skin. It reaches its limits when there is a lot of melanin in the epidermis, when the pigment responds to heat by darkening, or when the target lies deeper than the light reaches. Scars and wrinkles need new collagen to form in the dermis, and tattoo inks need very short laser pulses.
The DERMAFORCE BBL PRO is intended for skin types I to IV. For all skin types and for melasma there is the non-ablative TULIX, and for individual deep-seated spots and tattoos the PICOLO XL.
At SIACSKIN, the DERMAFORCE BBL PRO and the PICOLO XL cover the most skin treatments, because light systems and pigment lasers reach several targets via filters, wavelengths and modes. A broadband light system treats pigment, redness, acne and pores and can also reduce hair. A pigment laser with several wavelengths takes on tattoos, pigment spots and carbon peels. But versatility is no substitute for specialisation: for hair removal on a large scale or for pronounced scars, a device designed for the purpose is faster and more effective.
The DERMAFORCE BBL PRO works with 9 filters for pigment, vessels, acne and hair reduction, and the PICOLO XL with four wavelengths and the modes Pico, Long Pulse, PTP and Multi Pulse. You can clarify which device suits your clientele in the free consultation.
Which device do I use on the face and which on the body?
On the face, it is mainly lasers and light for the complexion, pigment and fine lines that are used; on the body, procedures for tightening, stretch marks, cellulite and large areas. Facial skin is thin, has a good blood supply and heals quickly, so fine work on surface and colour is worthwhile there. On the body the skin is thicker, the areas are larger, and the concerns lie deeper in the tissue. That is why penetration depth and speed count for more there than fine resolution.
At SIACSKIN, on the body the EUPHEUS V handles RF microneedling with vacuum, for example on the abdomen, arms and thighs, and the JORDISHAPE handles cellulite, tightening and lymphatic drainage. On the face, you work with the TULIX for skin tone and pores.
Which device do I use for dark skin types from IV to VI?
For dark skin types, you use devices that put as little strain as possible on the melanin in the epidermis: long wavelengths for hair removal and non-ablative lasers for the complexion. The darker the skin, the more likely it is to respond to heat with pigment marks. Broadband light and short wavelengths such as 532 nm are therefore not suitable from skin type V upwards, and only with caution for skin type IV. A test patch, low energy to start with, good cooling and longer intervals are always part of the process.
For hair removal, the DEWEON 4LD and the AlexDUAL UFO offer the 1064 nm wavelength, the AlexDUAL UFO as an Nd:YAG laser. For skin tone, pigment and scars, the non-ablative TULIX is specified for all skin types.
