Class 1M lasers - need goggles?

[juliekitty]

Hi there,

I've bought two home lasers for skin care and muscle pain. Both say they are class 1M. One has "2 x 30mW (60mW Total!) 830nm Infrared Laser pulsed at 10Hz" and the other has "8 red laser diodes at 660nm, 5 Mw - 4 infra-red laser diodes at 780nm, 3mW Software adjusted to 5mW". (SL50 Cluster Laser | Pain relief & beautiful skin at-home and Pain Management Laser | Strappy Laser for sport injuries plus..)

Should I buy goggles to use these? There are goggles that come with both, but I don't trust them. The ones with the 830nm laser have a sticker on them that says they block UV rays 100%, which even I know is pointless. The ones with the 660/780nm diodes have these little sunbed goggles included. They all seem useless.

No matter how careful I am, I can't seem to avoid briefly glancing at the lasers occasionally during use. I know this is supposed to be relatively safe but am concerned about long-term damage.

Then there's the issue of finding glasses that cover all of those wavelengths. I've looked at a lot of sites sellling goggles and nobody seems to be able to accomplish this, except for these guys: LASER SAFETY GOGGLES 625-850nm on eBay.ca (item 380169292720 end time 14-Aug-10 11:21:50 EDT)

That makes me suspicious as well, because if they can make goggles that cover such a broad spectrum, why can't everyone else, and why are these ones cheaper than many I've seen that cover a much more narrow range?

I'm utterly stymied on this. Your advice is appreciated.

 

[kiyoukan]

looking at the beam or dot of a laser wont hurt you, its not like welding.
If the dot hits you in the eye it can damage you.
So if you dont point it at your eye you will be fine.
kinda like you can look what the sun lights up just dont look at the sun, with out goggles.

 

[DJNY]

Order a pair of these and stay on the safer side



Protection Glasses for 808nm~850nm Infrared Laser

or

http://laserpointerforums.com/f39/fs-laser-safety-glasses-808-nm-laserglow-53918.html

 

[juliekitty]

Thanks -- but if I'm going to spend the money, why not buy the Aixiz ones from Ebay that will protect me from all of the wavelengths? Or is that bogus?

 

[DJNY]

You won´t need googles for 3-5mW red

But if you want goggles for near all wavelengths and you aren´t on budget, buy these --> ML7 - KTP, YAG, Red/IR Diode Protection ML7 - KTP, YAG, Red/IR Diode Protection [NR-ML7-00FDA] - $149.60

 

[Uranium]

I hope you know that those products are a sham. Lasers will not preform "Wrinkle Reduction, Pain Relief, and Beautiful Skin!" In fact they often do the exact opposite.

 

[LSRFAQ]

I hope you know that those products are a sham. Lasers will not preform "Wrinkle Reduction, Pain Relief, and Beautiful Skin!" In fact they often do the exact opposite.

Hate to break it to you, but NASA studies of mixes of non-coherent 750 nm, 830 nm, and 670 nm result in speed increases in wound healing, based on LEDs and 20-30 minute treatments.

As far as wrinkle reduction, no, beautiful skin, no. Healing of sores and damaged tissue, near the skin surface, yes, provided you have all three wavelengths. Coherent red light at low power, by itself, does slightly aid in wound care.

Steve

 

[Arayan]

You won´t need googles for 3-5mW red

But if you want goggles for near all wavelengths and you aren´t on budget, buy these --> ML7 - KTP, YAG, Red/IR Diode Protection ML7 - KTP, YAG, Red/IR Diode Protection [NR-ML7-00FDA] - $149.60

Or these Multiple Wavelength

 

[Uranium]

Okay Julie, assuming steve is right, save some $$$ and buy this.

90 Watt High Power LED Grow Light DUALBAND 660 nm 90W - eBay (item 330395529279 end time Aug-12-10 23:56:51 PDT)

 

[juliekitty]

Thanks for the glasses suggestions guys, but none of those cover all the wavelengths involved! I think I'll start another thread on the Aixiz glasses.

Lasers will not preform "Wrinkle Reduction, Pain Relief, and Beautiful Skin!"

Can't speak for the lower-wavelength one yet, but the 830nm one definitely works on muscle pain. I have TMJ asnd chronic back/neck/joint pain, and I'm addicted to this thing after four days of ownership. In fact I'm typing one-handed right now as I hold it to the base of my skull with the other. It's set for 10 min, and after 5-7 I can feel my muscle knots start releasing. I may buy another and use both at once, to cut treatment time in half.

And yeah, the studies are out there. I picked 830nm because I found those studies. Google 830nm laser muscle, if you're interested. 780 nm laser muscle and 780nm laser skin have some good results too. 660nm laser skin isn't quite as well documented, but I thought I'd take a flyer.

 

[Uranium]

Let me find some glasses

Here, OD2 will be fine for blocking those low power IR lasers. However since the light is pushed up against your skin, you really don't need goggles unless you plan on starting into the thing.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Laser-Protectio...0681QQcategoryZ42884QQcmdZViewItem#vi-content

 

[juliekitty]

Thanks. Much appreciated.

What about these? LASER SAFETY GOGGLES 625-850nm on eBay.ca (item 380169292720 end time 14-Aug-10 11:21:50 EDT)

They cover the whole spectrum I need; but can I trust Aixiz to make decent goggles? I see in the Companites thread they are having some serious issues with their diodes. I'll pay for real protection, but I don't want to throw my money away on junk that'll give me a false sense of security.

 

[Uranium]

Those are even better. Even if they are seriously underspec (though i doubt they are), they will block more than enough laser light. However, They are a bit pricey.

As I said before, as long as you don't plan on staring into it you should be fine.

Are these lasers focused? If they are not, then you definitely don't need goggles.

 

[juliekitty]

Hi Uranium, just saw you added a link. Thanks again, but these only cover part of the wavelengths I'm using, and again, can I trust the manufacturer? There seems to be a lot of BS in the laser goggle world and there's no point in my buying anything if it's not decent quality. I haven't even bothered to wear the UV goggles provided as I know those are useless against IR (and I wouldn't even be surprised if they were useless against UV. To tell you the truth, I'm amazed the laser itself works so well!)

since the light is pushed up against your skin, you really don't need goggles unless you plan on starting into the thing.

I know a brief exposure isn't harmful, but I'm concerned about the possible cumulative effects of many brief exposures over years of using these things regularly.

I have no intenion of staring into either of them, but I can't help looking at them briefly during the course of use. The 660/780nm one isn't that bad because it has a failsafe, in that it will not work unless it is pressed directly on the skin. Even so, I've already glanced at it several times without meaning to, as it comes off the skin and just before it goes out. The 830 nm one has no failsafe, which makes it great for strapping on your back for 10 minutes, but not so good for avoiding accidental exposure.

I'm not panic-stricken about what this might do to my vision over the next month or so. I'm thinking about what it might do cumulatively, over the next 30-40 years. Even if there's just a remote chance it'll harm my eyes over time, even if it'll only harm them a little, I'm willing to pay to protect them. I'll only ever have one set.

 

[juliekitty]

Those are even better. Even if they are seriously underspec (though i doubt they are)

Why do you believe they're good glasses? Have you dealt with the company?

They are a bit pricey.

I already have enough physical issues, and now my vision is just starting to go. What I have left is priceless.

Are these lasers focused? If they are not, then you definitely don't need goggles.

Oh dear, how would I know? I don't see anything in the brochures about that... Neither company wasted money on technical writers, that's for sure!

 

[Uranium]

Well Is the 830nm one focused? If not you're fine.

Shine it at a white wall in a dark room. You won't see anything, but a digital camera will. Take a picture of the wall. If you see 2 small dots, it's focused and you should get goggles. If it's a diffuse glow, then it isn't focused and goggles are not needed.