20 Common Lasers for Treatments

The application of laser in dermatology has a history of more than 30 years. Short-pulse laser and intense pulsed light (IPL) have been widely used in dermatology, which has made a large number of intractable skin diseases have a great therapeutic effect. A breakthrough that fulfills our dermatologist’s dream of non-invasive treatment of disease. In fact, there are many types of lasers used in dermatology. Below I will mainly introduce the commonly used dermatology laser therapy instruments and their applications in clinical practice.

1. Carbon dioxide laser (continuous)

The wavelength is 10600nm and the power is 10-50W. It is mainly used to remove benign superficial skin growths and tumors, such as common warts, condyloma acuminatum, seborrheic keratosis, pigmented nevus, skin tags, skin angle, keratoacanthoma, and purulence. Granuloma and other tumors are sometimes also used in the treatment of Bowen’s disease, basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and other tumors.

2. He-Ne laser

The wavelength is 632.8nm, and the output power is generally 10-40mW. It is commonly used in clinical practice: skin ulcers, alopecia areata, herpes zoster and after-effects pain, folliculitis, etc. It should be noted that photosensitive diseases, malignant tumors, and acute infections cannot be used.

3. Continuous (Nd:YAG) laser

The wavelength is 632.8nm, and the output power is 10-80W. The wavelength of Nd:YAG laser output is located in the near-infrared region, which mainly produces thermal effects in the skin tissue, resulting in gasification, carbonization and coagulation of the skin tissue. Commonly used in clinical: the treatment of vascular proliferative lesions, such as cavernous hemangioma, lymphangioma, angiokeratoma, pyogenic granuloma, hemangioendothelioma, Kimura disease, etc., and can also be used for the treatment of common warts and plantar warts.

4. Indium-doped gallium semiconductor laser

The wavelength is 980nm and the power is 10-30W. It is commonly used in clinical treatment for vascular proliferative skin diseases, such as cavernous hemangioma, lymphatic hemangioma, angiokeratoma, pyogenic granuloma, hemangioendothelioma, Kimura disease, etc.

5. Low power semiconductor laser

The wavelength is 490~980nm, and the wavelength of 830nm is commonly used at present, and the power is 1~500mW. It has strong tissue penetration and is mainly used for improving microcirculation, anti-inflammatory, regulating immune function, analgesia and other effects.

6. Argon laser

The wavelengths are 488nm and 514.5nm, and the output power is 0.5 to 2.5W. Acts on the superficial skin, mostly used for the treatment of superficial vascular proliferative skin diseases, such as telangiectasia, rosacea, etc.; can also be used for freckles, coffee spots, seborrheic keratosis and other superficial hyperpigmented skin diseases . However, there may be adverse reactions such as scar formation, hyperpigmentation, and hypopigmentation after surgery.

7. Copper vapor laser and cuprous bromide laser

The output is mixed light, including two wavelengths of 510.4nm (green light) and 578.2nm (yellow light), with a power of 1 to 6W. The yellow light with a wavelength of 578 nm is located at the absorption peak of hemoglobin and can be absorbed better; while the green light with a wavelength of 510 nm is absorbed by hemoglobin and melanin. Clinically, it is mainly used for the treatment of vascular proliferative skin diseases, such as port-wine stains, telangiectasia, rosacea, spider nevus, etc. In addition, copper vapor laser can also be used as the light source of photodynamic therapy to treat port-wine stains, with good clinical effect.

8. Potassium Titanium Phosphate Laser (KTPJ Laser)

The wavelength is 532nm, and the power is 1-20W. It is mainly used in the clinical treatment of vascular proliferative diseases, telangiectasia, rosacea (telangiectasia type), and small varicose veins. Postoperative hypopigmentation is more common, and it can also be used as a light source for photodynamic therapy to treat port-wine stains.

9. Alexandrite Laser

The wavelength is 755nm, and the pulse width is 50-100ns in the Q-switched mode. Clinically, the Q-switched mode is used to treat various epidermal and dermal hyperpigmented skin diseases, such as freckles, coffee spots, seborrheic keratosis, lentigo, Becker Moles, Nevus of Ota, Acquired Nevus of Ota, tattoos, etc. In the long pulse width mode, it is mainly used for hair removal.

10. Ruby Laser

The wavelength is 694.3 nm, and the pulse width is 20-40 ns in Q-switched mode. Long pulse width mode is mainly used for hair removal.

11. Pulsed garnet (Nd: YAG) laser

The wavelength is 1064nm, and the pulse width is 5-40s in the Q-switched mode. It is mainly used to treat various dermal hyperpigmented skin diseases, such as Ota nevus, acquired Ota nevus-like spots, tattoos, etc. There is basically no scar formation. The long pulse width mode is mainly used for the treatment of vascular proliferative skin diseases such as strawberry hemangioma, port wine stain, telangiectasia, etc. It can also be used for hair removal, wrinkle removal and skin tightening.

12. Q-switched garnet frequency-doubling 532nm laser

When the wavelength is 532nm, the pulse width is generally 4-10ns in the Q-switching mode, and the pulse width in the long-pulse-width mode is a variable pulse width of 2-50ms. Clinically used for the treatment of superficial hyperpigmented skin diseases, such as freckles, coffee spots, etc. Long pulse width mode can be used to treat vascular proliferative skin diseases such as port-wine stains, telangiectasia, rosacea (telangiectasia type), etc.

13. Pulsed dye laser

There are two wavelengths of 585nm and 595nm, the pulse width of 585nm wavelength is 300 ~ 450us; the pulse width of 595nm wavelength can be adjusted in 0.5 ~ 40ms. It is mainly used for the treatment of vascular proliferative skin diseases, such as port-wine stains, telangiectasia, angiokeratoma, rosacea (capillary damage type), spider nevus, and also for the treatment of flat warts, plantar warts, hypertrophic scars There is generally no scarring after surgery.

14. Q-switched erbium laser

The wavelength is 2940nm and the pulse width is 300us. It is commonly used for benign superficial skin tumors and neoplasms, such as syringoma, pilarisoma, xanthoma, pigmented nevus, seborrheic keratosis, atrophic or depressed scars, wrinkle removal.

15. Short pulse carbon dioxide laser

The wavelength is 10600nm, and the pulse width is generally 1-1000ms. The clinical treatment is the same as that of the Q-switched erbium laser.

16. 810nm semiconductor laser

The wavelength is 810nm, and the pulse width is adjustable from 5 to 400ms. It is mainly used for hair removal in clinic, with good curative effect and lasting effect. It can also be used for hairy moles, pseudofolliculitis and some hyperpigmented skin diseases.

17. 450nm semiconductor laser

The wavelength is 1450nm and the pulse width is 210ms. Clinically, it is mainly used for the treatment of moderate to severe acne, folliculitis and sebaceous hyperplasia, and can also be used to improve atrophic scars and fine wrinkles.

18. Excimer laser

The wavelength is 308nm, and the single pulse energy is 50-3300mJ. It is clinically used for vitiligo and psoriasis, and can also be used for the treatment of alopecia areata, lichen planus, eczema and other skin diseases.

19. 1550nm/1535nm semiconductor laser

Also known as dot matrix laser or pixel laser. The wavelength is 1550nm or 1535nm, and the pulse energy is 4.5~40mJ. It is mainly used for photoaging, wrinkle rejuvenation, depressed scar, and sometimes melasma.

20. Intense Pulsed Light (IPL)

Although it does not belong to the category of laser in theory, it has similarities in its mechanism of action and treatment. Its wavelength is 515 ~ 1200nm, mainly used for the treatment of superficial hyperpigmented skin diseases such as freckles, seborrheic keratosis, chloasma, etc., angioproliferative skin diseases such as port-wine stains, telangiectasia, rosacea, etc. Wait. In addition, it can also be used for hair removal.