Eyewear by Device
M.A.M.I. — Clinical Resources
Eyewear by Device
Eyewear is chosen by wavelength and optical density. Never by colour.
A reference for laser, IPL and RF eyewear across the devices used in aesthetic practice. Search by device, wavelength or platform. Everything here is an example, and none of it substitutes for the marking on the eyewear in your hand.
Read this before using the table
This page does not certify eyewear
Every filter, optical density and lens tint below is an example only. Eyewear must be selected against the device manufacturer's instructions for use and the wavelength and OD or LB rating marked on the eyewear itself.
Lens colour tells you nothing. Two pairs of identical-looking clear lenses can differ by orders of magnitude in protection. Infrared and ultraviolet beams are invisible — a lens that looks dark is not necessarily protective, and a lens that looks clear is not necessarily unprotective. Read the markings. Every time.
On multi-wavelength platforms, the eyewear must cover every wavelength present in that session. Do not mix and match sets between rooms. If a pair is scratched, crazed, or of unknown provenance, it is out of service.
Find your device
26 devices
CO₂ — ablative / fractional resurfacing
10,600 nm- Typical use
- Ablative resurfacing, scars, wrinkles, blepharoplasty and periocular resurfacing.
- Operator eyewear
- OD 6+ to 8+ at 10,600 nm. Eyewear must be marked for 10,600 nm. Verify against the IFU.
- Example tint
- Clear or very light — infrared-blocking filters often look clear.
- Example filters
- laservision P1G04 (clear); NoIR EC2 or ERB (clear).
- Patient
- Opaque pads or goggles externally. Periocular or eyelid work: metal corneal shields are mandatory, with lubrication. Never plastic shields.
- Key hazard
- High fire risk with dry drapes and hair. Use plume evacuation. Cover or replace reflective instruments. Standby whenever not firing.
Er:YAG — ablative / fractional
2,940 nm- Typical use
- Ablative resurfacing, scars; periocular resurfacing with shields.
- Operator eyewear
- OD 4+ at 2,940 nm. Verify against the IFU.
- Example tint
- Grey-green, or clear.
- Example filters
- laservision P1D09 (grey-green); NoIR ERB (clear).
- Patient
- Opaque pads or goggles. Metal corneal shields for periocular work.
- Key hazard
- Strong water absorption — the ocular hazard remains severe. Plume evacuation.
Er,Cr:YSGG (Waterlase)
2,780 nm- Typical use
- Soft tissue ablation, chiefly dental. Listed for completeness.
- Operator eyewear
- Verify against the IFU. NoIR ERB covers 2,780 nm.
- Example tint
- Clear.
- Example filters
- NoIR ERB (clear).
- Patient
- Goggles or occlusive pads; shields where there is periocular exposure risk.
- Key hazard
- Treat as a high-hazard infrared source. Controlled area required.
Thulium — fractional
1,927–2,008 nm- Typical use
- Fractional resurfacing, dyschromia, photoageing.
- Operator eyewear
- Filters in the thulium / holmium infrared range. Verify the exact wavelength against the IFU.
- Example tint
- Light blue or light grey.
- Example filters
- laservision P1M01 (light blue) or T2K02 (light grey); Protect filter 0281 (light grey).
- Patient
- Opaque pads or goggles. Metal corneal shields for periocular work.
- Key hazard
- The beam is invisible, so emission is harder to recognise. Strict key control.
Holmium:YAG
2,080–2,100 nm- Typical use
- Urology and ENT. Rare in aesthetics; listed for completeness.
- Operator eyewear
- OD 5+ at approximately 2,080 nm. Verify against the IFU.
- Example tint
- Light blue, grey-green, or light grey.
- Example filters
- laservision P1M01 (light blue) or P1D09 (grey-green); Protect filter 0281 (light grey).
- Patient
- Opaque pads or goggles.
- Key hazard
- Infrared hazard. Avoid reflective surfaces.
Er:Glass / fibre — non-ablative fractional
1,540–1,550 nm- Typical use
- Non-ablative fractional resurfacing.
- Operator eyewear
- Filters covering the 1,540 nm range. Confirm OD and coverage against the IFU.
- Example tint
- Light blue or green.
- Example filters
- laservision P1M01 (light blue, includes 1,540 nm); NoIR IRD (green, 820–1,720 nm).
- Patient
- Opaque pads or goggles. Metal shields periocular.
- Key hazard
- Invisible beam. Key control.
Diode — acne / niche dermatology
1,450–1,470 nm- Typical use
- Acne and sebaceous glands.
- Operator eyewear
- Rated for 1,450–1,470 nm, with OD or LB per the IFU.
- Example tint
- Green.
- Example filters
- NoIR IRD5 (green; includes the 1,400–1,750 nm band).
- Patient
- Opaque pads or goggles. Metal shields periocular.
- Key hazard
- Verify that coverage includes the exact wavelength, not just the band.
Nd:YAG — long pulse
1,064 nm- Typical use
- Hair removal (especially darker skin), vascular lesions, tightening.
- Operator eyewear
- OD 7+ at 1,064 nm. Verify against the IFU.
- Example tint
- Light grey, amber, green, or gold.
- Example filters
- laservision P1M02 (light grey); NoIR CYN (green) or DBY (amber).
- Patient
- Opaque pads or goggles. Metal corneal shields for periocular work.
- Key hazard
- Infrared is invisible. Do not judge protection by brightness or lens darkness — check the markings.
Q-switched / picosecond Nd:YAG
1,064 nm · often 532 nm- Typical use
- Tattoo removal, pigmented lesions.
- Operator eyewear
- OD 7+ at 1,064 nm and OD 8+ at 532 nm for combination filters. Verify against the IFU.
- Example tint
- Orange for combination filters; light grey or gold for 1,064 nm only.
- Example filters
- laservision P1L02 (orange; 532 + 1,064) or P1L16 (orange; 532 + 694 + 1,064).
- Patient
- Opaque pads or goggles. Metal corneal shields for periocular tattoo removal.
- Key hazard
- Very high peak powers demand higher OD. Strict room access control. If the 532 nm handpiece is in the room, the eyewear must cover it.
Alexandrite — long pulse
755 nm- Typical use
- Hair removal (lighter skin), pigmented lesions.
- Operator eyewear
- OD 7+ at 755 nm. Verify against the IFU.
- Example tint
- Magenta or pink.
- Example filters
- laservision P1F01 (magenta); NoIR ALX (pink).
- Patient
- Opaque pads or goggles. Metal corneal shields if periocular.
- Key hazard
- This wavelength penetrates. Closed eyelids are not adequate protection.
Diode — hair removal
800–940 nm- Typical use
- Hair removal; some vascular and pigment work depending on wavelength. Commonly 808, 810 or 940 nm.
- Operator eyewear
- OD 8+ across 810–980 nm. Verify against the IFU.
- Example tint
- Light green, pink, or amber.
- Example filters
- laservision P1L12 (light green); NoIR AXX or ALX (pink).
- Patient
- Opaque pads or goggles. Metal corneal shields if periocular.
- Key hazard
- Usually Class 4, and invisible. Controlled area and key control.
Diode + Nd:YAG combination room
810–980 nm & 1,064 nm- Typical use
- Hair removal on multi-wavelength platforms. Common in hair clinics.
- Operator eyewear
- OD 8+ across both 810–980 nm and 1,064 nm. Verify against the IFU.
- Example tint
- Light green.
- Example filters
- laservision P1L12 (light green).
- Patient
- Opaque pads or goggles. Metal shields for periocular or eyebrow work.
- Key hazard
- The eyewear must cover every wavelength present on the platform — not merely the one currently selected.
Nd:YAG — deep dermal heating
1,320–1,340 nm- Typical use
- Skin tightening, deeper dermal heating.
- Operator eyewear
- Rated for the specific 1,3xx nm wavelength, with OD or LB per the IFU.
- Example tint
- Green — many infrared filters appear green.
- Example filters
- NoIR IRD or IRD5 (green).
- Patient
- Opaque pads or goggles. Metal shields periocular.
- Key hazard
- Invisible. Do not rely on lens colour — confirm the markings explicitly include 1,320 or 1,340 nm.
KTP / frequency-doubled Nd:YAG
532 nm- Typical use
- Vascular and pigment work; some tattoo.
- Operator eyewear
- OD 6+ at 532 nm. Verify against the IFU.
- Example tint
- Orange or violet.
- Example filters
- laservision P1H06 (violet) or P1E01 (orange); NoIR ARG (orange).
- Patient
- Opaque pads or goggles. Metal corneal shields for periocular work.
- Key hazard
- Visible beam with high glare. Remove or cover mirrors and reflective jewellery.
Pulsed dye laser (PDL)
585–595 nm- Typical use
- Vascular lesions, erythema, scars.
- Operator eyewear
- OD 6.5+ at 585–595 nm. Verify against the IFU.
- Example tint
- Purple.
- Example filters
- NoIR DYE (purple).
- Patient
- Opaque pads or goggles. Metal corneal shields for periocular vascular work.
- Key hazard
- A retinal-hazard wavelength. Eye protection is critical.
Ruby — Q-switched
694 nm- Typical use
- Tattoo removal, pigmented lesions.
- Operator eyewear
- OD 7+ to 8+ at 694 nm. Verify against the IFU.
- Example tint
- Mint green.
- Example filters
- laservision P1E03 (mint green); NoIR RB-series (varies).
- Patient
- Opaque pads or goggles. Metal corneal shields periocular.
- Key hazard
- Visible beam, high glare. Avoid reflective surfaces.
Yellow laser
577–579 nm- Typical use
- Vascular lesions; retinal lasers in other specialties.
- Operator eyewear
- OD 5+ at 577–579 nm. Verify against the IFU.
- Example tint
- Purple.
- Example filters
- NoIR TRC (purple).
- Patient
- Opaque pads or goggles. Metal shields periocular.
- Key hazard
- Retinal-hazard wavelength. Avoid reflective surfaces.
Diode — blue light
405–460 nm- Typical use
- Acne; photodynamic therapy activation.
- Operator eyewear
- Filters covering 405–460 nm at high OD. Verify against the IFU.
- Example tint
- Gold, amber, or orange.
- Example filters
- laservision P1P18 (gold); NoIR DIW (amber).
- Patient
- Opaque pads or goggles.
- Key hazard
- Blue light hazard and significant glare. Consider an additional blue-light face shield.
HeNe / red aiming beams · LLLT caps
630–700 nm- Typical use
- Alignment beams; low-level light therapy for alopecia. Commonly 633, 650 or 655 nm.
- Operator eyewear
- OD 1.5+ for low-power alignment beams, which preserves some visibility. Higher-class devices: verify against the IFU.
- Example tint
- Blue or teal.
- Example filters
- NoIR DIA (blue; 190–395 and 630–700 nm).
- Patient
- Opaque pads or goggles if the device requires it. Ensure the beam is never directed at the eyes.
- Key hazard
- Low power is not no power. These devices can cause retinal injury if stared into. No direct viewing, ever.
Argon — blue-green
488 nm · 514 nm- Typical use
- Ophthalmology and research. Rare in aesthetics; listed for completeness.
- Operator eyewear
- Covering the blue and green bands, with OD per the IFU.
- Example tint
- Orange or amber.
- Example filters
- NoIR ARG (orange; covers to 532 nm); NoIR DIW (amber).
- Patient
- Opaque pads or goggles. Metal shields periocular if required.
- Key hazard
- Retinal-hazard visible wavelengths. Avoid mirrors and reflective surfaces.
Excimer UV
193 · 248 · 308 nm- Typical use
- Ophthalmology (LASIK) and dermatology (psoriasis). Typically not aesthetics.
- Operator eyewear
- UV-rated eyewear with OD per the IFU.
- Example tint
- Light grey.
- Example filters
- Protect-laser filter 0281 (light grey).
- Patient
- Per specialty protocol. Never direct at unprotected eyes.
- Key hazard
- UV causes photokeratitis and skin injury. Controlled area required.
Nd:YAG harmonics
266 nm · 355 nm- Typical use
- Scientific and industrial; some pigment systems use 355 nm.
- Operator eyewear
- Rated for UV 266 and 355 nm, with OD or LB per the IFU.
- Example tint
- Light grey.
- Example filters
- Protect-laser filter 0281.
- Patient
- Opaque pads or goggles. Metal shields periocular.
- Key hazard
- UV is invisible and highly photochemically hazardous. Strict PPE.
IPL / SHR — not a laser
Broadband ~590–1,200 nm- Typical use
- Hair reduction, photorejuvenation, pigment. Operator filters are often rated 190–1,800 nm.
- Operator eyewear
- IPL-certified operator eyewear to the ISO 12609 series, at the shade level (2, 3 or 5) specified by the device IFU.
- Example tint
- Tinted — orange, brown or green depending on product and shade.
- Example filters
- NoIR 3PL / 5PL (green) are broad-spectrum. Many IPL operator glasses are shade 3.
- Patient
- Self-adhesive opaque pads or goggles. Metal corneal shields if treating close to the lids.
- Key hazard
- IPL is broad spectrum. Laser goggles rated for a single wavelength are NOT sufficient unless they are also rated across the IPL range.
Multi-platform devices
532 · 755 · 1,064 nm- Typical use
- Tattoo removal, pigment, rejuvenation — picosecond and Q-switched platforms.
- Operator eyewear
- MUST cover every wavelength used in that session. Consider keeping separate, clearly labelled eyewear sets per wavelength.
- Example tint
- Orange for 532 and 1,064; magenta or pink for 755. Or a single multi-wavelength filter.
- Example filters
- NoIR TRI (orange; 190–534, 720–770, 900–1,080 nm); or laservision filters selected per wavelength.
- Patient
- Opaque pads or goggles. Metal corneal shields for periocular treatments.
- Key hazard
- Do not mix and match goggles between handpieces. Check the markings every single time you change wavelength.
RF — monopolar / bipolar tightening
Non-ionising RF- Typical use
- Skin tightening, collagen remodelling.
- Operator eyewear
- Laser eyewear is not required. Standard PPE — splash goggles or face shield where there is a fluid or gel risk.
- Example tint
- Not applicable.
- Example filters
- Not applicable.
- Patient
- Eye protection when treating around the eyes. Ensure gel cannot migrate into the eye.
- Key hazard
- The hazards here are thermal burns, grounding and contact quality, and implanted devices — pacemakers and ICDs. Check the IFU.
RF microneedling — fractional RF
Non-ionising RF- Typical use
- Acne scars, texture, tightening.
- Operator eyewear
- Laser eyewear is not required. Standard PPE and sterile gloves; eye protection where there is a splash risk.
- Example tint
- Not applicable.
- Example filters
- Not applicable.
- Patient
- Ocular pads when working near the eyes. Avoid pressure on the globe. Sterile draping.
- Key hazard
- Sharps and needlestick, burns, and infection control. Single-use cartridges only.
Scope and limitations
This is a reference document for practitioners operating cosmetic energy devices. It is a starting point, not a specification. Every optical density, filter code and lens tint listed is an example drawn from manufacturer catalogues, and none of it is a certification of any product for any device. Eyewear selection is governed by the device manufacturer's instructions for use, the wavelength and OD or LB rating marked on the eyewear, and the radiation safety requirements applicable in your state or territory. Filter product codes and their coverage change without notice — confirm current specifications with the eyewear manufacturer.
Sources
- AS/NZS 4173 — Safe use of lasers and intense light sources in health care.
- ISO 12609 — Eye protectors for intense light source (IPL) equipment.
- The manufacturer's instructions for use for each device in service.
- Eyewear manufacturer catalogues (laservision, NoIR, Protect-Laser), cited as examples only.
Where this document differs from the manufacturer's instructions, the eyewear markings, or your state regulator's requirements, those prevail.
Clinical review. Reviewed by Dr Larissa Miller, Cosmetic Physician, on 13 July 2026. Next scheduled review July 2027. Reviewed at least annually and whenever a device is added to service.