The word ‘Laser’ is an acronym: Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Lasers are sources of high intensity light which can be accurately focused into small spots with very high energy. Various types of lasers are used to treat a large number of skin problems like removal of wrinkles, unwanted body hair, tattoo and birth marks, scar and stretch marks; skin tightening and facial rejuvenation. The lasers used to treat skin conditions have been in practice for more than 40 years now; and over the time much technological advancement has occurred to improve their efficacy and safety.
How does it work?
The laser light is emitted in a pixilated fashion and transmitted to the skin, which is then split into thousands of microscopic beams, producing tiny dot / pixel-like treatment zones on the skin; referred to as microthermal zones (MTZs). Thereby, it creates small microscopic columns of thermal injury to the skin leaving a large percentage of intervening skin unaffected. The healing occurs quickly in this “fractioned” treatment, hence minimizing the downtime.
The number, depth and size of these vertical columns of MTZs are variable and depend on the type, wavelength, fluence and number of stackings or applications of the laser used.