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As you know different colored surfaces either absorb or reflect light. Red pigment absorbs green light so I think it is a matter of duration and power. If I were to point a strong green laser at a red balloon the balloon would explode but it probably would not rupture a green or a white balloon as quickly if at all. It certainly would pop a black balloon.
As to the FDA, they are the most untrustworthy agency to ever come down the pike. What they say is safe often isn't and what they say is unsafe often isn't either. They are not there to protect anyone but medical corporations.
There are hair removal lasers and light systems for sale to the general public that used pulsed light the same as what medical offices used but customers don't get the results promised and often these units arrive not working at all. Also, quality control is not good and some may be too powerful and others may be weak and ineffective and the FDA has no jurisdiction as to their safety or efficacy. That would fall on the FTC which does a lousy job protecting consumers same as the FDA does a lousy job protecting medical consumers. The FDA is an industry lapdog and not the citizen's watchdog people think it is.
It seems to me that a class 3R laser would not present much of a hazard especially if I used eye protection and stop the exposure when I feel a sting.
I borrowed a friend's laser for pain and it worked pretty well. If you didn't keep it moving you would feel a burn but it worked on pain. Chiropractors and physical therapists are starting to use them.
There is no way I would use a class 4 because they can burn things very quickly.
905 nm and 980 nm is best absorbed by hemoglobin.
I see it like this. Sparks for a sparkler are very high in temperature but are low in BTUs that the sparks can land on your skin and not cause damage. Also, I'm thinking that ablation of the hair follicle will occur much like a laser popping a balloon within a balloon or lighting a match within a balloon without damaging the balloon.
No you need high energy pulses to remove the follicles. There is a reason why they have special machines to do it. They pulse the laser so that the exposure time is enough for the follicle but not the skin. By using a CW laser, you will be burning more than just the follicle or nothing at all if you are not using a high enough power laser. You are right on the absorption, but incorrect on the analogy of popping a balloon. Don't base your distrust of FDA as a reason to risk your health. If I started mislabeling objects as fatal weapons, would you test it to find out. :thinking: In this case, they are not over/under exaggerating. And again, please stop shining lasers onto your skin. If a 3R laser is producing a burn then it is not a 3R, it is actually a 3B. 5mW and under is not enough power to burn on its own. The laser is over 5mW for this, hence is now in the Class 3B category.
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