The combination of alexandrite and Nd:YAG lasers in a single session was also more painful and caused more hyperpigmentation than either type alone, according to Alireza Firooz, M.D., of the Tehran University of Medical Sciences, and colleagues.
But either single laser treatment -- for four sessions at eight-week intervals -- gives "long-term persistent efficacy in hair reduction with acceptable and transient adverse effects," Dr. Firooz and colleagues reported in the October issue of Archives of Dermatology.
Among the 15 participants who completed the trial -- four were lost to follow-up and one stopped because of adverse events -- the average hair reduction 18 months after the last treatment was:
- 75.9% for the 12-millimeter spot size alexandrite laser
- 84.3% for the 18-millimeter spot size alexandrite laser
- 73.6% for the Nd:YAG laser
- 77.8% for the combination therapy
The differences in hair reduction were not significant, the researchers said.
