Update on Dermatologic Laser Therapy
November 2010
in “
JDDG Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft
”
dermatological laser therapy fractional laser therapy chronic actinic skin damage non-ablative treatments ablative treatments pigmented skin changes vascular skin changes laser epilation linear scanned laser systems low fluence laser systems home laser devices laser lipolysis liposculpture ultra-short pulsed laser systems femtosecond lasers laser hair removal home laser hair removal devices fat removal lasers
TLDR New laser therapies are effective for skin damage, hair removal, and fat reduction.
New trends in dermatological laser therapy over recent years were based on new wavelengths, concepts, and treatment combinations, leading to various new dermatologic indications. Fractional laser therapy for chronic actinic skin damage became a standard technique, with fractional non-ablative and ablative laser treatments proving safe and effective for pigmented and vascular skin changes. Promising new concepts for laser epilation included linear scanned and low fluence laser systems, with the former allowing short treatment times for large areas and the latter being the basis for home-use devices, though their long-term efficacy and side effects were not yet tested. Laser lipolysis emerged as a minimally invasive method for removing small localized fat deposits, showing potential for liposculpture. Ultra-short pulsed laser systems, such as femtosecond lasers, were introduced for precise ablation, avoiding thermal damage at the borders of ablation zones.
