Hi guys, I just uploaded about
the alternative ways to remove hair besides using laser in the last post. Now,
in this post I will do another alternative ways but this time about the other
use of the laser besides removing hair. So, I know you guys know that laser can
only be used for hair removal (as that what it says on the beauty clinic), but
you guys are wrong, laser can be used for treating many kinds of skin problem
and even helping to rejuvenate and tighten your skin. It’s great isn’t it?
Okay, now I’m going to tell you what other things that can laser do to your
skin.
·
Treating leg veins
(telangiectasia and leg telangiectasia)
It is a chronically
dilated superficial cutaneous vessel that mostly affects Caucasian women with
an unknown cause. The colours are pinkish to purplish and the depth and size
are varied. The location of the vessels is mostly on the face, neck, or leg. It
may be hereditary, or because of sun exposure or may be because of habit such
as smoking and too much standing, and or maybe because of venous insufficiency.
This condition can be treated with Nd:YAG laser, KTP laser or IPL depending on
the site of the vessels and the depth of the vessels. After treated with the
laser the desired end results are the darkening of the vessel, the
disappearance of the vessel, or hazing or greying of the vessel.
The laser mechanism
when it target the vessel is when the laser generates heat as energy, the blood
platelets and the cells inside the vessels absorbed the energy and become
dilated and so as the vessel wall it-self. Then the vessel is squeezed like a
squeezed water balloon and then the vessel will rupture and soon the ruptured
vessels will be replaced by a new granular tissue. But to achieved a better
result you will need several treatments to make sure the vessels are all
treated.
 |
| Face telangiectasia |
 |
| Leg telangiectasia |
·
Cherry angioma
It is a singular
tubular dilation of capillary loops in dermal papillae with a pinkish colour
usually located on the limbs or lips. It is known that UV radiation, ageing,
hormones, smoking and alcohol are the main triggers of this condition. This can
be treated with IPL or KTP laser.
·
Rosacea
It is a chronic
inflammatory skin condition on the central of the face, cheek, nose, forehead,
chin and nose present with flushing, persistent redness, papules and pustule
and telangiectasia. It is commonly found in Caucasian women in their 30th
to 60th and in fair skin (Fitzpatrick I and II). This may have some
secondary features such as burning, stinging, dry, oedema, ocular involvement, and
phymatous (enlargement of the nose).
Rosacea itself is categorised into 4 types:
-
Erythematotelngiectatic
(ETR)
Characterized
by flushing, persistent redness, telangiectasia and burn or stinging
-
Papulopastular (PPR)
Characterized
by persistent redness with papules and pustule, but no white or blackheads,
telangiectasia may be present
-
Phymatous (Phr)
Characterised
by the thickening of the skin, irregular surface of nose, chin, forehead, eyes
and eyelids. It is most common on men.
-
Ocular (Or)
Characterised
by burn, dry, sting, and itch of the eyes, sensitive to light, gritty eyes,
blepharitis, and conjunctivitis.
There are some contributing factors that may trigger rosacea such as
spicy food, exercise, climatic exposure, dysregulation of innate immune system,
abnormal vascular abnormality, increase ROS level, and demodex overgrowth. This
condition can be treated with PDL, IPL, KTP, CO2 laser, Er:YAG and Nd:YAG.
·
Poikiloderma of
Civatte
It is a reed to brown
reticular patches with irregular borders symmetrical distribution on the neck,
upper chest, and peripheral chest, often in older people with lighter skin
colour and women who in their menopause. It is from sun exposure, photosensitizing
agent such as perfume and hormones. It can be treated with IPL, KTP, PDL, or
Fractional Photothermolysis.
·
Pigmentation
-
PIH (Post
Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation)
It is the pigmented macules
that have the same distribution with the initial inflammatory process that may
or may not resolve over time. It has tan, brown, dark brown and blue grey
colour that created from a trauma, burn or acne scars. It occurs in all skin types and
commonly in dark skin types. The treatment number is depending on the depth of
the pigmentation and it is quite tricky to threat. It can be treated with Q-switched
Nd:YAG, KTP, Q-switched alexandrite, or IPL.
-
Ephelides
It is a small pigmented macule
of around 1-2mm width which appear red to light brown or also called freckles. Common in lighter skin
types and inversely associated with age (increasing throughout adolescence and
decreasing with subsequent aging). Often seen on face, neck, chest, and arms,
darken in UVR response and had an increased risk of melanoma. This can be
treated with KTP and IPL laser.
-
Actinic Keratoses
It is a single or multiple
small rough spots usually on the back of the hand and forearms. Can overtime
progress to red and scaly, and it can increase in size. More common found in
lighter skin and because of UVR, long-term immunosuppression, recipients of
organ transplants or after exposure to arsenic. It rises with age; more in Caucasian-Australian
population over 40 years of age is 40-50% and may regress spontaneously over a
year. This can be treated with PDT and non-ablative laser.
-
Solar lentigines
It is benign hyperpigmented skin
lesions that appear light to dark brown. Maybe papular, the size is normally mm
– cm in width and can increase in age. Found in sun exposed skin around the
face, dorsum of hands and anterolateral aspect of forearms. It affected mostly dark
skinned (fitz 3 and 4) due to their active melanocyte system. This can be
treated with Q-switched Nd:YAG.
-
Café au Lait
It is non-hairy, flat, light
to dark brown, and sharply demarcated cutaneous macules or patches.
Ranging from 0.2 – 4cm in
diameter in infants and reaching up to 30cm in diameter in adults.
It
can be solitary or multiple (associated with syndromic diseases). It affects
10-20% of population in healthy people.
Can present at birth and typically develop in early childhood and grow
proportionately to body growth. It can be treated with Q-switched Nd:YAG,
Q-switched alexandrite, and Q-switched ruby laser.
-
Seborrheic Keratoses
It
is a tan to dark brown plaques or papules that usually found on head, trunk, and
extremities (not on palms and soles). More frequent in sun exposed areas and
decrease when reaching the third decade of life. This caused by sun exposure
and can be treated with CO2 laser, KTP or Alexandrite 755nm laser.
-
Other mixed and
dermal pigmentation
·
Stimulates wound
healing
Most of the lasers
can promote wound healing as they stimulates blood flow bringing all
inflammatory cells into the wound site and accelerate the process of wound
healing. Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) such as LED is one of the most popular lasers
for stimulating wound healing, pain reduction and reducing inflammation.
·
Skin Tightening and
Rejuvenation
-
For tightening the skin:
Titan is a good laser with a low energy with infrared light to instantly
tighten the skin, but for a deep wrinkles and skin fold it needs several
treatment to improve the appearance.
-
For rejuvenation:
laser genesis (Nd:YAG) laser with the lower setting in a painting motion
to promote rejuvenation by stimulating production of new collagen and disrupt
older and weaker collagen (collagen III into collagen I) and promotes blood
stimulation for repairing the skin. It is more relaxing unlike other laser
treatment.
LLLT in form of LED may also be used for skin rejuvenation as it stimulates
collagen production and blood flow and it also stimulates production of endorphins
to give a happy feeling and reducing pain. It can also be used for back pain or
fractures to stimulate wound healing.
Fractional photothermolysis can also be used for rejuvenating as it
promotes neocollagenesis and wound healing. It stimulates myofibroblast for
collagen production and increase the epidermal thickness.
So, that’s all for today post. I know it is a bit hard to
process as there are many kinds of skin problems and each of them has their own
specific treatment. This is going to be my last post for this blog as I already
finished my hours needed for my assignment, I hope you guys learned a lot from
this and previous blog that I already uploaded. If you have questions or
comment please feel free to comment down below as I still going to check this
blog even if I’m not posting it anymore.
If you think this blog is interesting and wanted to know
more please feel free to comment so that I know and maybe I can resume posting
on this blog. The source for this post is all from my previous lecture notes
from Advanced Laser 2 that was taught by my lovely teacher Samantha Reeves. As
she didn’t post the references for her lecture notes, so I can’t put it in here
and because her notes is really complete and detailed, therefore I didn’t want
to put any additional information as it is already compact itself. Once again, thank
you for reading my blog; I hope you can get a better understanding about laser.
Cheers,
Agnes
