STL Index for: Lasers

Acne vulgaris can represent a therapeutic challenge in terms of managing ongoing symptoms and preventing scar formation. Dermatologists may now have viable new alternatives for treating all grades of acne severity that circumvent the negative side-effects associated with many conventional options.

In recent years, there has been increasing concern that laser, light, and cosmetic surgery are being used by poorly trained professionals, resulting in preventable injuries to patients. These guidelines delineate appropriate qualifications, and also describe the circumstances and settings in which delegation is appropriate.

Acne scarring is common but surprisingly difficult to treat. Scars can involve textural change in the superficial and deep dermis, and can also be associated with erythema, and less often, pigmentary change. In general, treatment of acne scarring is a multistep procedure.

Red face is commonly seen, can be transient and come and go (flushing), or be persistent. Sometimes it can be scaly (dermatitis), or there may be papules and pustules (rosacea) present. Red face is occasionally seen in infants or neonates.

Fractional laser treatment with the 1,550nm erbium fiber laser (Fraxel® Laser, Reliant Technologies) has bridged the gap between the ablative and nonablative laser modalities used to treat the epidermal and dermal signs of skin aging.

The development of selective photothermolysis has enabled removal of targets such as melanin. Both lasers and intense pulsed light (IPL) sources have been used in the treatment of pigmented lesions, however careful selection is important to ensure success.

Plasma skin regeneration technology uses energy delivered from plasma rather than light or radiofrequency. Plasma skin regeneration technology can be used at varying energies for different depths of effect, from superficial epidermal sloughing to deeper dermal heating.

We present our clinical experience along with literature findings on decorative tattoo removal and the important issues practitioners should consider in the management of tattoos.

The latest techniques for endovenous occlusion, i.e., radiofrequency ablation catheters or endoluminal laser targeting water are our preferred methods for the treatment of saphenous-related varicose veins. Clinical experience with endovenous techniques in more than 1,000 patients shows a high degree of success.

Twenty-two percent of women in North America have unwanted facial hair, which can cause embarrassment and result in a significant emotional burden. Eflornithine 13.9% cream can be used in combination with other treatments such as lasers and IPL to give the patient the best chance for successful hair removal.

Over the past 2 decades, there have been numerous advances in laser therapy of birthmarks in the pediatric population. Concerns regarding efficacy, overall benefit, and side-effects linger.

Hirsutism can cause embarrassment and lead to anxiety and depression. There are a limited number of treatments available that vary in efficacy, degree of discomfort and cost. It is very important to make sure that the patient is aware of all the available treatment modalities, since no one method is effective for all patients or body locations, and results from therapy may not always be satisfactory.

A telltale sign of the aging face is upper eyelid skin redundancy and lower eyelid bags. These changes can contribute to a “tired” appearance. Upper and lower blepharoplasty procedures can correct these processes. By removing skin and muscle, an upper eyelid blepharoplasty can give the eye a larger appearance.

Patients frequently seek cosmetic improvement for existing scars. While no scar can be completely erased, dermatologic surgeons can employ a variety of approaches to achieve more esthetically pleasing scars. This review focuses on common incisional surgical methods for scar revision.

Photodynamic therapy has been used for several years for the treatment of actinic keratoses and prevention of invasive nonmelanoma cancers. Recently, increasing physician expertise with the topical sensitizers and light sources employed in PDT has led to expanded applications.

The role of lasers and intense pulsed light sources has gained increasing popularity in the management of both cosmetic telangiectasias and medically significant symptomatic varicose vein disease. Combined approaches of sclerotherapy plus laser treatments may produce synergistic results.

Lasers and intense pulsed light sources are frequently used for the treatment of pigmented lesions, and the appropriate selection of devices for different lesions is vital to achieving satisfactory clinical outcomes. In the removal of melanocytic nevi, a combined approach with a long-pulse pigmented laser and a Q-switched laser is particularly applicable.

Wound care after laser skin resurfacing is critical for achieving a successful result. The superficial thermal injury created by laser skin resurfacing heals more quickly and with a reduced risk of scarring under occlusion. Effective management techniques can help minimize expected negative effects.

Lentigo maligna (LM) is a pigmented lesion that occurs most commonly on the sun-exposed skin of the head and neck of an older patient. LM can be difficult to completely remove due to its occasional extensive subclinical extension. The gold standard treatment for LM is margin-controlled excision.

With so many new peel preparations on the market today, the dermatologist must ask himself basic questions concerning the products. The most important question is directed to the medical literature rather than the advertising or marketing campaign so common among marketdriven cosmetic products.

Over the past decade, refinements in laser technology as well as advances in laser techniques have enabled dermatologic surgeons to define the most appropriate lasers to use for different scar types without the adverse sequelae and recurrence rates noted with older surgical revision techniques and continuous wave laser systems.

Blepharoplasty of the upper and/or lower eyelids can restore a youthful appearance to the aging face. This is a minimally invasive procedure that can be accomplished with little bleeding and a small incision.

Nonablative laser and light therapy is a relatively novel modality for the improvement of the visual appearance of photodamaged, scarred, and injured skin. A number of different wavelengths and devices have been purported to be efficacious for the delivery of nonablative therapy.

Their management of hemangiomas has been controversial as they are unpredictable. Today there is an increased awareness of both the physical and psychological sequelae associated with hemangiomas, a small percentage of which can be life threatening. This has resulted in a renewed push to treat them.

Conventional treatment options for hypertrichosis and hirsutism are tedious and time consuming. Laser hair removal offers an efficient way to permanently reduce excessive hair growth.

Clinical rosacea is not a single disease but rather a combination of cutaneous stigmata which include flushing, erythema, telangiectasia, facial edema, papules, pustules, ocular lesions, and rhinophyma. A review of rosacea, treatment, and management.

Although PDT remains an investigational treatment modality in dermatology, several important areas of development may ultimately lead to official and practical acceptance of PDT for the skin. Various uses of PDT are evaluated.