Safety Glasses For Laser Hair Removal

Many people ask about safety glasses and are they needed when doing home laser hair removal treatments. In this article we will share information, for general knowledge, which is by no means advice. For specific advice and guidance consult your doctor.

Laser Eye Damage

When doing home laser hair removal or IPL hair removal, the unit emits intense light flashes. Looking into laser light directly can be DANGEROUS, and can result in sever eye damage, inner burns and even blindness. For this reason one should NEVER point the home laser hair removal toward the eyes!

Home laser systems like the TRIA laser, have an intense light energy beam. A single wavelength of 810 nanometer, up to 26 Joules of light energy.

If this beam hits the eyes the dark matter inside the eye will zap in a second and cause inner burns in the retina.

Check these Laser safety glasses which filter TRIA laser Diode 810 nanometer wavelength.

Home IPL devices use light flashes of energy too. The IPL as a wider wavelength which means the light is not focused (like a laser) but will look like bright white/yellow light. Most IPL have a wavelength of 400 nm and 1200 nm (nanometer), and have up to 5 joules of energy. An IPL flash toward the eyes can result in pain and temporary blindness, like looking toward the sun. Some long term damage might occur too.

IPL and Laser Hair Removal Eye Safety

There is no reason for a laser or IPL light to reach the eyes. If you use the home hair removal system as explained by the manufacturer, and follow the safety guidelines, NO HARM will be done to your eyes.

Home laser hair removal systems like the TRIA laser, have a safety sensor, which prevents the system from emitting laser into blank air. The tip of the device has a pressure sensor, which will lock the device from emitting laser, unless the tip is pressed against the skin.

So holding the TRIA in you palm when the tip is facing upwards toward the eyes, and pressing the laser button, will not cause the Laser to emit. The skin contact sensor needs to be firmly pressed on the skin in order for the laser to be projected (see image).

The same safety mechanism is available at the IPL systems. The system will not work unless the hand device is pressed at the skin.

So unless you do stupid things like trying to fool the sensor and looking down at the tip to see what happens.. There is no risk or threat for eye damage when using these systems at home.

IPL or Laser Light – Eye Sensitiveness

When doing a home treatment, you need to focus on the place you treat and be focused on overlapping areas, and there are going to be 750 flashes approx when going full body.

Even when you press the laser or IPL at the skin, and the light flash zaps the skin, light will be seen from the sides of the applicator tip. Some people may find these light flashes irritating.

See how ELOS/IPL flashes are seen when gliding over an arm.

For these people laser glasses are recommended! These safety laser glasses can reduce the amount of light which reaches the eyes, and ease the discomfort. These glasses are also recommended by professional staff, because they see these flashes all day long.

Facial Hair Removal and Eye Damage

It is extremely important if you do laser hair removal on facial hair, to STAY AWAY from treating anywhere near the eyes! With some systems you can treat facial hair from the cheekbones downward. DO not treat anywhere around the eyes! Do not try to do laser hair removal on eyebrows!

Be twice as careful anywhere over the face, as the applicator is near the eyes, and they must be kept a ‘no fly zone’ for laser or IPL.

The Me my ELOS facial kit, includes a pair of dark safety goggles, which you can wear while doing facial hair removal (see image). The dark goggles will block and filter the intense light and reduce the risk for eye damage.

Click here to get laser safety eye wear. Note that the red or green laser safety glasses do not protect from the same wavelength the TRIA use.

Many people who buy TRIA laser add a pair of laser safety glasses. They are not expensive and if you feel your eyes are sensitive and wish to add a safety precaution, you might as well get a pair.