Lasers, Lights, and Related Technologies in Cosmetic Dermatology

Abstract

Lasers have been widely used in dermatology for almost 50 years. Selective targeting of the skin chromophores allowed practitioners to treat many skin conditions which were difficult or had no available treatment until introduction of selective photothermolysis in the early 1980s. The demand for laser surgery has increased substantially in the past few years. Refinements in laser technology have provided patients and dermatologists with more therapeutic choices and improved clinical results. Innovations have allowed the range of conditions and the skin types suitable to treatment, including vascular and pigmented lesions, scars, tattoos, improvement of photoaging, and hair removal. More recently, fractionated laser devices were developed which contributed to higher efficacy and safety especially for higher skin types. In this chapter, we present the basic concepts of lasers and tissue optics and also the different laser types, which are classified according to their tissue target and tissue interactions, such as vascular, pigment, photoepilation, and resurfacing lasers. Non-laser technologies, such as intense pulsed light, radio frequency, ultrasound, and cryolipolysis, are also discussed.

Comparative study between topical steroid alone versus combined fractional Erbium:YAG laser with topical steroid in treatment of alopecia areata

“…Fractional laser treatment is a non-invasive method that uses a laser beam divided into thousands of microscopic treatment zones (micro thermal zones) that target a fraction of the skin at a time. It ablates the stratum corneum, producing thermal effects below it that can enhance transdermal delivery and increase topical absorption of several compounds 7 .…”