Eyewear by Device

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M.A.M.I.  —  Clinical Resources

Eyewear by Device

Reference EW-01  ·  Reviewed 13 July 2026  ·  Next review July 2027

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.

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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.

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