The other use of Laser beside hair removal

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 30^th to 60^th 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