What should you know about Nd:YAG and Alexandrite laser?

Alexandrite laser emits light at a shorter wavelength and is commonly considered for hair reduction when the hair has enough pigment to absorb the energy. Nd:YAG reaches deeper and is often selected when a longer wavelength offers a more suitable safety margin for darker skin tones. Neither label alone tells you which device is appropriate. The clinician should examine your skin, hair colour, thickness, tanning, and any history of pigment changes before choosing settings.

During treatment, absorbed light becomes heat around the target. You may feel warmth, snapping, or brief stinging, followed by temporary redness or swelling around follicles. Results develop gradually because only hairs in a responsive growth phase are affected at a session.

At consultation, disclose recent sun exposure, tanning products, medicines, cold-sore history, scarring tendency, and any skin condition in the area. Follow the clinic’s instructions about shaving and pausing irritating products. Avoid deliberately tanning before treatment and protect the area from sunlight afterward. Keep the skin gently cleansed, avoid friction and heat while it is reactive, and do not pluck hairs if the plan depends on the follicle as a target. A treatment course may need repeat visits because hair cycles differ.

Contact the treating clinic promptly if pain is worsening rather than settling, blisters or open areas appear, swelling spreads, or the treated skin develops marked lightening or darkening. Seek urgent medical help for facial swelling with breathing difficulty or widespread blistering. Mild follicle redness can occur after treatment, but your clinician should assess a reaction that is intense, persistent, or unexpected.

Ask which wavelength fits your skin tone and hair, what endpoint the clinician will look for, how a test spot may help, and what changes would require postponing treatment. Ask how to manage medications or skincare products before and after the session, and what alternatives are available if your hair or skin does not respond as expected.