Abstract

The use of lasers in Dermatology has increased significantly in past few years. The use of Carbon Dioxide laser (10,600 nm) allows to remove wrinkles and other effects of sun damage. The laser-tissue interaction time is limited to < thermal relaxation time of epidermis (1 ms) so that thermal diffusion does not occur during the laser pulse. The resulting band of thermally altered collagen usually measures less than 150 um. One of the limitations of CO₂ laser resurfacing is the incidence of side effects, specifically prolonged redness, swelling, and changes in skin pigmentation. In addition, the thermal damage creates a “culture medium” in which bacteria can proliferate, so that the risk for infection is higher. Many otherwise ideal candidates are unwilling or unable to take the time off to recover before interacting with the public. This has led to a search for alternative laser resurfacing techniques.

© 1997 Optical Society of America