Science & Technology
Luxar 20i CO2 Laser Carbon dioxide lasers are incredibly accurate. They produce a tiny powerful beam that vaporizes skin one very thin layer at a time. At its lowest setting the laser removes only 10 microns of tissue (about one cell layer). At its highest setting, it removes about one quarter of a millimeter of tissue.
This precision makes the CO2 laser the preferred device for mole removal. Only the mole is injured. There is minimal damage to nearby normal skin. This means the lowest possible risk of leaving a scar.
Soprano Laser This is the world's first truly painless hair removal laser. While other lasers use single intense shots of energy over each square centimeter of skin to accomplish hair removal, the Soprano uses 10 low intensity pulses per second that cannot be felt.
It is made in Israel by Alma Lasers, one of the most innovative laser companies in the world. This device offers radical new technology.
Ultrashape Contour I Body Contouring Machine The Contour uses ultrasound waves to kill fat cells, making it a safe and effective alternative to liposuction.
It uses a dome-shaped transducer that sends ultrasound waves from all directions into a single point about 1.5cm below the skin surface. The intense vibrations shake fat cells so hard that they are killed. Since your body stopped making new fat cells at puberty, these cells will not be replaced, meaning that results are permanent.
It is made in Israel by the Ultrashape company.
Accent Radio Frequency Generator The Accent produces radio waves that are used for skin tightening, body contouring, and cellulite treatment.
It is made in Israel by Alma Lasers, one of the most innovative laser companies in the world. This device offers radical new technology.
CoolGlide Excel Laser At the York Vein and Laser Clinic we use the CoolGlide Excel laser for hair removal and facial vein treatments.
Lasers produce light that has unique properties. The light has only one wavelength (color) and the light travels in beams that are parallel. The end result is that a laser beam stays the same width at the source as at the target, and loses very little energy. A laser beam one centimeter in diameter fired at the moon would only spread to one meter in diameter at the moon’s surface. Compare this to a flashlight. The beam would be a meter wide after traveling only ten meters.
Laser light of different wavelengths is used for different tasks. Hair removal is done with 810nm and 1064nm lasers. Skin resurfacing uses laser light at 1320nm. Vascular lasers use light at 532nm.
The CoolGlide Excel was chosen for its efficacy and its unequalled safety profile as explained below.
The target for laser light energy is the pigment called melanin. This pigment is found in hair and throughout the skin. The darker your skin, the more melanin it contains. The object of laser hair removal is to have more absorption of laser light energy by the melanin in the hair root than by melanin in the skin, thereby destroying the hair follicle but preserving the skin.
The CoolGlide laser has the longest wavelength available for hair removal. The longer wavelength of the CoolGlide laser results in deeper penetration of light into the skin where the hair root resides. Less light energy is absorbed in the skin. The result is hair root damage without skin damage. It is the safest laser available for hair removal.
All other wavelengths of light are scattered and absorbed in the very superficial layers of the skin where they may cause undesirable skin side effects such as burning and pigment changes. These shorter wavelengths are unsuitable for treating dark skin.
The longer wavelength of the CoolGlide Excel is safe for use on all skin colors, including tanned skin. We have never seen pigment changes using the CoolGlide Excel laser.
This laser is also an excellent device for the treatment of facial veins. We do not use it for leg veins, because sclerotherapy hurts less, works better, and costs less.
Harmony AFT Intense Pulsed Light Device (IPL)
At the York Vein and Laser Clinic we use the Harmony AFT Intense Pulsed Light Device manufactured by Alma Lasers. This multi-purpose device is used for hair removal, facial vein treatments, photorejuvenation, photodynamic therapy, and acne therapy. Our Harmony has three different handpieces for these different functions (420nm for acne and photodynamic therapy, 540nm for facial veins and photorejuvenation, and 650m for hair removal).
IPL is short for Intense Pulsed Light. As the name implies, IPL machines produce intense pulses of light from flashlamps. This light initially contains all colors of light in the visible spectrum plus infrared and ultraviolet. Because ultraviolet light is harmful, all IPL machines use some type of mechanism, usually filters, to block out UV.
We chose the Harmony because of the innovative technology it uses to deal with ultraviolet light.
As mentioned above, all IPL machines use some type of device to prevent harmful ultraviolet light from reaching the skin. Most machines use filters to simply block out the UV rays. In contrast, the Harmony IPL converts the UV light to useful wavelengths. This method is called Advanced Flourescent Technology (AFT). Most of the energy boost occurs at the wavelength that the IPL machine uses for doing its job. Because more light is available at the desired wavelength, the overall energy delivered can be reduced, and consequently, the machine is safer. This safety factor is the primary reason we decided to purchase the Harmony to treat our patients.
We are also very impressed with how well this device works. While most IPL devices need to be used 5 to 8 times to achieve the desired results, we rarelyneed to apply more than 3 treatments to achieve success.
Ultraviolet Camera This camera allows the patient and the physician to see sun damage that is not visible to the naked eye. We use it before photorejuvenation and photodynamic therapy to judge the degree of sun damage. Another photograph is taken following treatment to judge the efficacy of treatment.
Zimmer Elektromedizin Cryo-5 Cooler This device is a technologically advanced air conditioner that blows super cooled air. Zimmer Elektromedizin Cryo-5 CoolerThe Zimmer has one very important function: to cool the skin during laser and IPL treatments. This cooling protects the skin and decreases discomfort.
Aloka SSD-1700 UltrasoundAloka SSD-1700 Ultrasound
The Aloka is a color Doppler ultrasound system that allows us to treat varicose veins more effectively. Our use of ultrasound during most visits sets York Vein and Laser Clinic apart from most vein clinics.
It has three purposes:
1) It allows us to make accurate diagnoses by visualizing veins beneath the skin. Using ultrasound, we track a varicose vein back to its source. After all, if the source is not treated, the problem is not treated. Most vein clinics do not have this capability.
2) It allows us to treat veins that can not be seen or felt by guiding a needle into the hidden vein.
3) It allows us to track the progress of our treatment. We can see the results of the previous treatment and see what needs to be treated next.
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