A Survey of Applications of Laser in Dermatology

Keywords:Surgical, Fiber,  Time:11-03-2016

It gives good shape for our body and is responsible for giving good complexion (colour) due to the presence of colouring pigment called melanin. Skin also protects our body from ultraviolet rays coming from the sun. it also allows the evaporation of water through the pores in it during summer thereby regulating the body temperature.  The term dermatology refers diseases related to the skin.

Now a day’s skin diseases are common due to allergic to drugs, insects bite and environmental pollution etc. these diseases related to skin can be cured by taking proper medicines of allopathy or herbal. But major skin disorders like tattoos(extra growth of skin), vascular skin lesion and hemangioma (tumour in blood vessels etc)cannot be rectified by oral medicinal therapy (or) Surgical laser Fiber treatment. Earlier only surgery was used to solve these types of major skin problems.

With the advent of discovery of various types of laser which differ in power capacity and wave lengths coupled with optical fibers doctors can perform bloodless surgery in short duration on a specified area (pulse laser) with a minimum time for healing.  One of the major field in which modern laser find its applications is dermatology through photothermal and photochemical reactions. The present study briefly discuss about various interesting applications in the field of dermatology.


Let us first discuss about the sensitiveness of skin to electromagnetic radiation like light X-rays, lasers etc and their penetration reactions with the skin through a term known as skin optics.  Optical penetrations into skin is determined by a combination of absorption and scattering.

The principal chromophores(absorbing molecules) for optical radiation in skin are water, melanin and hemoglobin. When absorption occurs, photon energy is transferred to chromophores. The excited chromophores can dissipate this energy in various ways including photochemical reaction, heat or re-emissison of light.  Absorption depends on the concentration of chromophores present. Scattering occurs when the photon changes its direction of propagation.

About 4-7% of light is reflected upon striking the skin surface because of the sudden change in the refractive index between air and stratum corneum (outer layer of endometrium). The remaining light penetrates into skin and can be either absorbed or scattered by molecules, particles and structures in the tissues.  Let us now discuss particularly about the interactions of laser with skin. Laser light can impose a tissue effect only when it is absorbed by chromophores. There are 3 basic effects. The majority of current laser applications in dermatology use photo thermal effects.

Discussion:   Here we are going to discuss about 2 mechanisms of laser applications in dermatology. They are photo thermal interactions and selectively photo thermolysis. The accumulation of denatured material rise exponentially with temperature and proportional to time. At high temperatures the specially configured macromolecules necessary for life are shaken open, resulting in loss of function.  

Most proteins are denatured above 600C and DNA above 700C , tissue water is vaporized.