Ruby Laser - Information about Ruby Laser

Laser stands for -"Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation". Lasers are possible because of the way light interacts with electrons. Lasers work by producing an intense beam of bright light that travels in one direction. The laser beam can cut, seal or vaporize skin tissue and blood vessels. The laser has the unique ability to produce one specific color of light that can be varied in its intensity and pulse duration.

It is a versatile laser with multiple uses, the Ruby laser is named after the ruby crystal that helps give it the unique wave­length of visible light it emits. The Ruby laser is used to lessen unwanted brown spots such as sun freckles and melasma, and remove tattoos and unwanted hair. Moreover,the Ruby laser is often "quality switched,". to give it increased strength.

The Ruby laser, was the first laser hair removal system and has been extensively tested in Dermatology. With the ruby laser, a crystal of ruby is formed into a cylinder. A lamp of high intensity is wrapped around the crystal of the ruby and provides a flash of light that starts the laser action. The ruby laser produces a pulse of visible light with the principal wavelength centered around 694.3 nm, which appears as dark red to human eyes.

The ruby laser is a three level laser. The active laser medium, is a synthetic ruby rod that is energized through optical pumping. The rod must be prepared to high precision, such that the two ends of the rod are each flat to within a quarter of a wavelength of the output light, and parallel to each other within a few seconds of arc.

The Ruby laser has a shorter wavelength system. The light emitted by the ruby laser is selectively absorbed by hair follicles, melanosomes or tattoo ink located in the epidermal and dermal skin layers.

The use of ruby lasers leads to a growth delay in the patients' hair. Some patients see a permanent reduction in hair growth. This laser is more effective for dark hair as compared to blonde or gray hair. White hair does not respond to treatment.

The exact mechanisms of hair destruction and the potential damage to other structures of skin by the ruby laser are not known. The ruby laser, is selectively absorbed by melanin. It causes selective damage to hair follicles, minimising injury to the skin.