Aesthetic LASER SAFETY

  / drdavinlim  
More on acne scar revision

Short answer is yes, however one must try very hard and perform off label treatments limited to a few powerful devices. Don't blame the laser/ energy devices- its the provider that controls the parameters and selects suitable (unsuitable) patients. Read more.

Lasers and energy devices used in cosmetic surgery come in many different wavelengths, energy sources and power. Some devices are extraordinarily powerful, and despite company denials, have the potential to ‘melt’ fat. For example, SculpSure a body contouring device made by Cynosure was designed to do exactly that. This laser is a diode driven 1064 Nm device, applied to unwanted fat areas for a time of 20 minutes. This causes thermogenic lipolysis, or heat induced fat reduction.

In the context of facial rejuvenation, the majority of lasers can not cause destruction of fat deposits, especially with ‘on label application.’ Examples of energy controlled lasers include Fraxel Dual 1927-1550, Pico lasers (Picosure, Picoway, Enlighten etc.), Revlite lasers, nano laser, non-ablative lasers including erbium glass, NA wavelengths 1440-1550, vascular lasers, 532, 585, 595, 755, long pulse 1064, and many other devices used in the context of onlabel skin rejuvenation.

Powerful devices such as Ultherapy, Ultraformer, old versions of Thermage, RF insulated microneedling and medical grade CO2 laser (Ultrapulse comes into mind), all have the ability to penetrate deeply into the dermis and subcutaneous layers. Hence, in this case, potential side effects may occur, depending upon the application. Pulse stacking pulses may potentially cause damage to the adipocytes, especially in patients who are ‘slight of build’.

The bottom line is that lasers and energy devices should be viewed as tools to get the job done. It depends on the application, the settings and the operator. Much the same as a pair of good Japanese steel scissors. Used correctly scissors can give an awesome haircut, however scissors can also be used as a murder weapon. Hence faced with a pair of scissors, most (normal) people will place the faith in hairdresser and not view the scissors as a potential weapon. I hope you can see the logic- the same goes for vehicles and even firearms (I won’t give my political viewpoint on this debate). You get the idea.

For all those patients who have had a bad side effect from a device, it is not the device, but the application, context, settings, intent, selection and most importantly the user that gives the results, or in some cases the side effects.

Dr Davin Lim, Laser & Procedural Dermatologist
Brisbane. Australia
@cliniccutis

Disclaimer: The view points I share are based upon scientific papers and my (limited) experience as a procedural dermatologist. Your specialist may have a different POV and I respect that.

**I do not provide online consultations as sight, touch and tactility are all senses used to decipher the enigma of skin.

#laserresurfacing #fraxel #co2laser #dermatologist