Cosmetic Laser Facts A cosmetic laser used for facial skin resurfacing was discovered almost by accident. In the course of treating acne scars with a cosmetic laser, surgeons noticed that after resurfacing the skin around the scar to make the scar less visible, small adjacent wrinkles were greatly diminished. Cosmetic laser resurfacing is very appealing to people because it is a way of refreshing the skin's surface and getting a new layer of non-sun damaged and more youthful skin. Collagen is a key fibrous protein in the skin's connective tissue, and it helps give the skin its texture. Natural aging and such factors as sun damage and smoking help break down the collagen layer so that the skin's once smooth surface develops wrinkles. New, more youthful collagen actually forms after cosmetic laser treatments. Cosmetic laser resurfacing can often make patients look 10 to 20 years younger, and the results can last for eight to 10 years. However, after cosmetic laser treatments, patients must avoid sunbathing and destroying their skin again. Patients can have a repeat cosmetic laser treatment after one year, but usually the first procedure is so successful a follow-up cosmetic laser procedure is not needed. A cosmetic laser treatment cannot rejuvenate skin on some parts of the body, nor can cosmetic laser treatments lift or remove sagging jowls or smooth out sagging neck skin. In addition, people with very sensitive skin cannot tolerate the medications and lubricants used on the skin during healing. Darker-skinned ethnic groups are not candidates because the cosmetic laser treatment alters the color of skin too dramatically and unpredictably. People desiring Cosmetic laser procedures who are not mentally prepared for resurfacing or who expect instant results are not good candidates. Potential patients have to realize that there will be bruising and swelling resulting from cosmetic laser procedures. The Cosmetic Laser Role in Aesthetic & Cosmetic Dermatology The cosmetic laser has become very common in the practice of Dermatology, Surgery, Plastic Surgery, Dentistry, Ophthalmic and Aesthetics or Cosmetic Procedures. Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation (LASER) produces an intense beam of light of an exact and narrow wavelength, with insignificant dispersion over a short distance. This property is utilized in dermatology to treat various skin disorders. When a laser beam is directed at the skin, it is absorbed by the water in naturally occurring pigments like melanin and hemoglobin. It is also absorbed by artificial pigments introduced by means of tattooing. Lasers cause very precise tissue destruction of the lesion in the light path, and does not affect the skin tissue in the surrounding area. It is this precision that has generated tremendous interest among Dermatologists to use the laser as an operative tool. Using the Cosmetic Laser in the Treatment of the Following Skin Conditions * Port Wine Stains can be removed with the Pulsed Dye Laser (Vasculite) and Carbon Dioxide Laser. They require multiple sittings, but the results are very satisfying. * Spider Nevi can be treated with the Pulsed Dye Laser and Long Pulsed Nd YAG Laser. Lesions on the face can be treated with the KTP laser. * Warts, a viral infection caused by Human Papiloma virus are effectively removed by the Carbon Dioxide or Pulsed Dye Laser. * Scars such as acne scars or ice pick scars are resurfaced with the Erbium YAG laser or Carbon Dioxide Laser. Hypertrophic scars are flattened with the Pulsed Dye Laser. * Moles and Nevi are removed for medical or cosmetic reasons using the Carbon Dioxide, Ruby or Erbium YAG Laser depending on the type. Pulsed Dye Lasers are also used to treat "Giant Pigmented Nevi.". * Lentigenes (age spots) are removed using Ruby Lasers. * Hair Removal temporary or long term has become a much easier task with the advent of lasers. Largely, laser hair removal gives excellent results in fair skinned people. Listed below are a few lasers used for hair removal. o Epilight o Medilite (Q switched YAG) o GentLASE (long pulsed Alexandrite laser) preferred for dark hair in light skinned. o Lyra (long pulsed YAG) for dark skinned people. The laser light is absorbed by hair follicles, and spares other skin appendages. Cooling devices further prevent heat damage to the rest of the skin. Laser hair removal needs multiple sessions. Regrowth of hair after each session may take from 3 months to up to a year. The regrowth is thinner, slower and scantier after each session. * Resurfacing is done effectively using lasers for acne scars, pits and small pox scars. Wrinkles are also treated by this technique. This procedure involves the precise removal of very thin layers of irregular skin. Carbon Dioxide Lasers and Erbium YAG Lasers are used for laser ablation. Q - switched Nd YAG lasers are used for non-ablative resurfacing. * Tattoo Removal - tattoos are difficult to treat. Q-Switched Ruby Lasers and Nd YAG Lasers are effective. Multiple sessions over many months may be required to obtain favorable results. The color of the tattoo and the depth of the pigment influence the duration and the outcome of the laser treatment. Cosmetic Laser Types and Manufacturers There are many kinds of lasers available today. Each of them have a specific range of utility, depending on their wavelength and penetration. Some commonly used cosmetic lasers are listed below. * Pulsed Light Lasers * Diode Lasers * ND Yag 1064 nm & 532 nm Lasers * Alexandrite & Q-Switched Lasers * Pulsed Dye Lasers * Optical & RF Lasers * Ebrium Lasers * CO2 Lasers * Ruby Lasers * Holmium Lasers Pulsed Light Lasers * Alderm Prolite * Cynosure Charm * Cynosure PhotoLight * Lumenis AcuLight * Lumenis B-Clear * Lumenis D-Lite SR * Lumenis EpiLight * Lumenis MultiLight * Lumenis Quantum DL * Lumenis Quantum HR * Lumenis Quantum SR * Lumenis Photoderm VL * Lumenis Photoderm Vl/PL * Lumenis Relume * Lumenis VascuLight HR * Lumenis VascuLight Plus * Lumenis VascuLight SR * Lumenis VascuLight VS * Lumenis VascuLight VX * Lumenis VL/PL/HR * Medical Bio Care Omnilight FPL * Opti Genesis Epicool Platinum HR * Palomar EsteLux B * Palomar EsteLux R * Palomar EsteLux Rs * Palomar EsteLux V * Palomar EsteLux Y * Palomar Medilux * Palomar MediLux B * Palomar MediLux G * Palomar MediLux V * Palomar EsteLux G * Primary Technology Spectrapulse * Radiancy Spatouch Skinstation Diode Lasers * Aesclepion Meditec * Biolitec Ceralas D * Biolitec Ceralas D15/18 * Biolitec Ceralas G5 * Candela Smoothbeam * Cynosure Apogee 100 * Iridex Apex 800/1000 * Iridex Diolite 532 * Lumenis LightSheer EC * Lumenis LightSheer EP * Lumenis LightSheer ET * Lumenis LightSheer SC * Lumenis LightSheer SP * Lumenis LightSheer ST * Lumenis LightSheer XC * Opus F1 Diode Laser * Palomar SLP1000 * Quantel Viridis Derma ND Yag 1064 nm & 532 nm * Altus CoolGlide * Altus CoolGlide Excel * Altus CoolGlide Genesis * Altus CoolGlide Xeo * Altus Medlite C * Altus Vantage * Candela GentleYag * Con Bio Medlite II * Con Bio Medlite C3 * Con Bio Medlite C6 * Con Bio Medlite IV * Cynosure SmartEpil II * Depilase Twin Yag * Depilase Yag Lase Plus * Hgm Corium 400 Diode * Hgm K1 * Hgm Kyrpton laser * Icn Photonics Cooltouch II * Icn Photonics Cooltouch Varia * Icn Photonics Quench * Laserscope Aura I * Laserscope Lyra I * Laserscope Lyra Xp * Lumenis VersaPulse C * Lumenis VersaPulse V * Palomar Q-Yag 5 * Sciton Contour * Sciton Profile * Telsar Softlight * WaveLight Burane * WaveLight Burane XL * WaveLight Mydon Alexandrite & Q-Switched Lasers * Candela AlexLazr * Candela GentleLase LE * Candela GentleLase Plus * Con Bio Medlite II * Con Bio Medlite IV * Cynosure Accolade * Cynosure Apogee 40 Express * Cynosure Apogee 5500 * Cynosure Apogee 6200 * Cynosure Apogee 9300 * Depilase Twin Lase * Lightage Epicare * Lumenis VersaPulse C * Lumenis VersaPulse V * Palomar RD 1200 * Sharplan Epitouch 5100 * Wavelight Arion Pulsed Dye Lasers * Candela C Beam * Candela ScleroPlus * Candela V-Beam * Icn Photonics Nlite * Icn Photonics NliteCool * Cynosure PhotoGenica V * Cynosure PhotoGenica V-Star * Cynosure PhotoGenica VLS Optical & RF Lasers * Syneron Aurora DS * Syneron Aurora DSR * Syneron Aurora SR Ebrium Lasers * Lumenis Coherent Ultrafine Erbium * Con Bio 2.94 * Cynosure CO2 * Cynosure PhotoAppeal * Lumenis Derma K * Quantel Aramis CO2 Lasers * Lumenis Coherent UltraPulse 5000C * Lumenis Coherent UltraPulse 5000V * Lumenis Derma K CO2 Erbium * Lumenis Luxar LX 20 CO2 * Lumenis Luxar NovaPulse CO2 * Lumenis Sharplan 40C Silk Touch CO2 * Lumenis Sharplan Feather Touch CO2 * Lumenis UltraPulse Surgitouch CO2 Ruby Lasers * Lumenis Sharplan EpiTouch Ruby * Palomar Epilaser * Palomar RD 1200 Holmium Lasers * Lumenis VersaPulse PowerSuite 60 * Lumenis VersaPulse PowerSuite 100 * Lumenis VersaPulse PowerSuite 20 * Trimedyne OmniPulse-Max