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Abstract

A laser apparatus for permanently removing a plurality of hair follicles, veins or capillaries from the skin of a patient. The laser apparatus includes a housing having a single laser for sequentially emitting a series of pulses of coherent light energy having a pulse duration in the range of 1/2 ms to 10 ms; a fiber optic bundle connected to the laser for transmitting said series of pulses of coherent light energy to the skin of a patient; and a sequence control device for controlling the laser to emit the series of pulses of coherent light energy sequentially, with a time delay of less than 20 milliseconds between the sequential pulses of the single laser. The laser apparatus includes a handpiece assembly for holding a section of the fiber optic bundle for directing the series of pulses of coherent light energy to the same spot of the patient's skin to remove the plurality of hair follicles, veins, or capillaries. A method of removing hair or blood vessels from the skin of a patient using a laser apparatus having a single laser, a sequence control device and an optical delivery system, and includes the steps of controlling the single laser to sequentially emit a series of pulses of coherent light energy, transmitting the series of pulses of coherent light energy through the optical delivery system to the same spot on the skin of the patient, irradiating the same spot on the skin containing the hair or blood vessels with the sequential pulses of coherent light energy transmitted through the optical delivery system from the laser, and pulsing the laser at least two times through the optical delivery system at a wavelength in the range of 550 to 1200 nm, at a power level in the range of 1 to 20 Joules/cm.sup.2, at a pulse duration in the range of 1/2 to 10 milliseconds, having a pulse delay in the range of 1 to 20 milliseconds, and having a beam diameter on the treatment area in the range of 4 to 50 millimeters.

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