Nearly 60 years ago, the neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (nd:YAG) laser first demonstrated its effectiveness in treating pigmented and vascular lesions. This advancement laid the foundation for other treatment concepts including the helium neon, Q-switched, argon, and carbon dioxide lasers. Of all the solid-state laser crystals, nd:YAG has been the most successful in surviving the test of time. In fact, it’s still widely used to this day to treat a variety of skin conditions.
If you wanted to learn more about this technology and how you can utilize it in your own dermatological treatments, you’ve come to the right place. Today, we’re going to discuss one of the most popular options on the market, the Cutera YAG laser: how this machine works, the types of conditions that can be treated with it, and how you can acquire one.
Nd:YAG
Nd:YAG is a man-made cubic garnet crystal that acts as a laser medium. When a dopant, triply ionized neodymium, is introduced into the crystal structure, it replaces a small fraction of the yttrium ions, since the two ions are of similar size. Hence the name, neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet.
Nd:YAG lasers typically have a wavelength of 1064 nanometers (nm) and are capable of reaching deeper layers of skin tissue than other types of lasers. These lasers can operate in both pulsed and continuous modes. Pulsed nd:YAG lasers usually work in the Q-switched mode in which they produce two wavelengths, one in the infrared range (1064 nm) and one at 532 nm which is useful for superficial skin lesions.
Treatments
Nd:YAG lasers have been helpful in treating a wide range of skin conditions including:
- Spider, varicose, and thread veins on the face and legs
- Vascular birthmarks or capillary vascular malformations
- Facial veins
- Haemangiomas or vascular tumors in the face and surrounding the mouth
- Brown age spots
- Freckles
- Mongolian spots
- Wrinkles and overall skin appearance
- Inflammatory skin diseases such as hidradenitis suppurative
Additionally, nd:YAG lasers are used for:
- Treatment of certain eye disorders
- Hair removal
- Tattoo removal
- Treatment of certain nail disorders
Regardless of the specific application, treating patients with an nd:YAG machine is typically straightforward. Before you begin, the patient should be wearing a protective opaque eye cover or goggles (unless you’re treating an eye condition). Once the patient is ready, you can start applying light pulses to the targeted area of the skin with a machine’s handpiece. While many patients don’t find these light pulses to be irritating, others may require a local anesthetic. Most laser systems even cool the skin before, during, and after a treatment to reduce irritation.
The level of laser light pulses released by Nd:YAG machines is controlled based on the type of treatment being performed. For the treatment of vascular conditions affecting sensitive areas such as the face, for instance, the ideal pulse is 50 milliseconds in duration with an output energy of 150 to 250 J/cm2. For the purpose of hair removal, though, longer-pulse Nd:YAG laser systems are safer and more effective than Q-switched systems.
As you’ll see, the range of parameters that can be employed to achieve different results in aesthetic treatments necessitates an array of different devices. To choose the machine that will be the most beneficial for your clinic, you need to determine which treatment options will be the most desired by your patients.
Which Cutera YAG Laser is Best for You?
What makes Cutera such an ideal provider of nd:YAG? They have extensive experience in the research and development of this technology. In fact, they were the first to develop a high-powered Nd:YAG laser for hair removal. They also have several different lasers that utilize this technology.
excel® V: This dual-wavelength (532/1064) Cutera YAG laser is the most clinically effective option for treating vascular lesions. As a long-pulse nd:YAG laser, it’s designed to gently and safely target microvasculature and stimulate the creation of more collagen. The excel V laser is able to treat a range of conditions such as rosacea, angiomas, port wine stains, poikiloderma, veins, acne, wrinkles, age spots, and scarring.
excel® V+: This aesthetic laser machine has a lot in common with the excel V option, but it’s designed to treat much larger spot sizes. Whereas the excel V is able to treat spot sizes ranging from 2-12 mm, excel V+ treats spot sizes up to 16 mm. In addition to treating large spot sizes, you can also utilize the Dermastat handpieces to precisely treat small vascular and pigmented lesions. For that reason, this Cutera YAG laser may be more versatile than the excel V.
excel® HR: This laser is the leading high-volume, dual-wavelength (755/1064) hair removal platform for safe and effective treatments on all skin and hair types. The combination of wavelengths not only allows for effective hair removal, but it also allows the system to treat other conditions such as veins, pigmentation, and skit revitalization concerns.
Xeo®: The Cutera xeo is a complete aesthetic laser system designed to be entirely customizable in order to treat a wide range of skin concerns. The truPulse Nd:YAG handpiece, in particular, is proven to treat hair removal and vascular lesions on the face and lower extremities. You can learn more about the Cutera xeo here.
Buy a Cutera YAG Laser of Your Own
Nd:YAG lasers are one of the most commonly used technologies in the treatment of nonsurgical, aesthetic conditions, and acquiring one of these machines would be a great addition to your practice. If you’re interested in purchasing this technology for yourself, we recommend Cutera. As leaders in laser technology, you know you can trust their machines to provide safe, effective treatments to patients.
That being said, purchasing one of their lasers is no small feat. You have the option of buying one directly from the company, but buying new can be expensive. Manufacturers have to make up for the losses from years of R&D. This means you’d have to use the equipment for years before you offset purchasing costs. A much more cost-effective option for your practice is to buy a used Cutera YAG laser. By purchasing a used laser, you’ll be able to save on costs while also providing the most advanced treatments to your patients.
When you buy a laser machine from Laser Resellers, you’ll know you’re buying reliable technology. We stock all of the devices we advertise in our warehouse, so you never have to worry whether the equipment you’re buying actually exists or not. We also make sure every machine is serviced by manufacturer-trained technicians, so whenever your laser arrives, it will be in perfect working condition.
Ask Laser Resellers about how you can buy a Cutera YAG laser for your practice. We’ll help you find the right machine for you and your patients.