Laser Surgery
From physics to clinical application on the skin:
Selective photothermolysis, thermal relaxation time
A major progress in laser treatment can be put down to the physical principle of “selective photothermolysis”. Specific target pigments (e.g. haemoglobin, melanin) absorb certain wavelengths of light. The light energy is converted into heat energy.
Due to short pulse duration the thermal transmission is spatially limited. Using short pulse times, it is possible to just destroy the targeted structure, which is required to be removed. The body then breaks down ablated capillaries, hair follicles or pigment cells. Depending on the wavelength and type of laser, light can penetrate through the skin or remove the top layers of skin. In this manner, laser light can obliterate targeted blood vessels, pigment, hair roots or smooth layers of skin, warts, scars and wrinkles.
The following medical and cosmetic skin changes are now treated with laser light:
- Vascular changes and capillaries, birthmarks (flammei nevi and haemangioma)
- Veins and rosacea
- Spider angiomas, senile angiomas
- Spider veins
- Sun damage with vasodilatation (e.g. erythrosis interfollicularis, poikiloderma civatte)
- Unwanted or disturbing hair growth
- Hormonally induced increase in hair growth (hirsutism)
- Unsightly or excessive hair growth (hypertrichosis)
- Ingrown hairs with inflammation
- Pigment changes
- Age spots (back of the hand, face)
- Café -au- lait spots
- Freckles
- Hyper pigmentation (e.g. post vein treatment) wrinkles, scars, sagging skin
- Loss of skin elasticity
- Wrinkles of the upper lip, forehead, cheek
- Retracted scars, acne scars hypertrophic scars