The effects of adding low energy laser irridation after skin resurfacing in lowering complication. Laser Surg Med. Abstract issue, 2002, abstract 242. Fereydson E, Samieh M.
Laser therapy is a valuable supportive therapy after skin resurfacing with CO2 laser. In a study by Fereydson. twenty patients had full face skin resurfacing with superpulse CO2 laser, 500 mJ/cm2. Ten patients had additional 780 nm laser therapy. This additional therapy lowered complications such as pain, erythema, infection rate and itching.
Fat liquefaction: effect of low-level laser energy on adipose tissue. Neira R, Arroyave Ramirez H, Ortiz et al. Plast Reconstr Surg 2002 Sep 110:912-922.
Low-level laser energy has been increasingly used in the treatment of a broad range of conditions and has improved wound healing, reduced edema, and relieved pain of various etiologies. The low-level laser energy affected the adipose cell by causing a transitory pore in the cell membrane to open, which permitted the fat content to go from inside to outside the cell. The cells in the interstitial space and the capillaries remained intact. Low-level laser-assisted lipoplasty has a significant impact on the procedural implementation of lipoplasty techniques.
Nonablative [Non-wounding] laser and light therapies for skin rejuvenation. Arch Facial Plast Surg. 2004 Nov-Dec;6(6):398-409 KIm KH, Geronemus RG. Laser and Skin Surgery Center of New YOrk, 317 E. 34th Street, New York, NY 10016, USA.
Background: Multiple modalities have been described for skin rejuvenation, including ablative and nonablative therapies. Because of the prolonged recovery period associated with ablative procedures that injure the epidermis, nonablative skin treatments have grown increasingly popular. Various laser and light-based systems have been designed or applied for promoting skin remodelling without damage to the epidermis.
Methods: Studies investigating the use of nonablative procedures for facial rhytids [wrinkles] or acne scarring with clinical, histological, and objective quantitative measurements are systematically reviewed.
Results: Nonablative treatments are associated with clinical and objective improvements for the treatment of facial rhytids and acne scarring. Dermal remodeling seems to occur as a result of thermal injury, leading to dermal fibrosis without epidermal disruption.
Conclusions: Although results are not as impressive as those of ablative treatments, nonablative procedures are effective in the treatment of photoaging and acne scarring. As technology in nonablative therapies continues to evolve, future laser and light sources may yield even more favorable results.
Alteration of extracellular matrix modulators after nonablative laser therapy in skin rejuvenation. Oh, J Kim, N Seo, S Kim, IH Laboratory of Cellular Oncology, Korea University Ansan HOspital, Gojan 1-dong, Danwon gu, Ansan, Gyeonggi do 425-707 Koreaon
Background: Nonablative laser therapy is widely practised for skin rejuvenation, which stimulates collagen production and dermal matrix remodelling. Matrix remodelling is primarily modulated by a coordinated action of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their inhibitors, but the effects of nonablative lasers on these matrix modulators are not fully investigated.
Objectives: To evaluate the changes in matrix modulators, such as MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-3, MMP-9 and MT1-MMP, and their inhibitors (TIMP-1, TIMP-2 and RECK in particular), after nonablative laser treatments of human facial skin.
Methods: Twenty-four adult volunteers received a series of four nonablative laser treatments separated by 3-week intervals on facial skin. Two-millimetre skin punch biopsies were obtained at baseline and 3 weeks after the last treatment.
Results: Nonablative laser treatments led to a robust increase in two major dermal matrix components, type I collagen and tropoelastin. Among MMPs tested, levels of MMP-2 mRNA were statistically significantly increased, but the amount of active MMP-2 was rather reduced. More importantly, the expression level of RECK was significantly enhanced by laser treatments.
Conclusions: Clinical outcomes following nonablative laser treatments may result not only from increased biosynthesis but also from decreased degradation, via an induction of RECK expression, of matrix proteins.
Anti-inflammatory effects of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) with two different red wavelengths (660nm and 684nm) in carrageenan-induced rat paw edema. Albertini R, Villaverde AB, Aimbire F, Salgado MA, Bjordal JM, Alves LP, Munin E, CPsta MS, Instituto de Pesquisa & Desenvolvimento - IPD, Universidade do Vale do Paraiba - UNIVAP, Av. Shishima Hifumi, 2911, CEP: 12244-000 Sao Jose dos Campos, SP. Brazil
It has been suggested that low-level laser therapy (LLLT) can modulate inflammatory processes. The aim of this experiment was to investigate what effects red laser irradiation with two different wavelengths (660nm and 684nm) on carrageenan-induced rat paw edema and histology. Thirty two male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups. One group received a sterile saline injection, while inflammation was induced by a sub-plantar injection of carrageenan (1mg/paw) in the three other groups. After 1h, LLLT was administered to the paw in two of the carrageenan-injected groups. Continuous wave 660nm and 684nm red lasers respectively with mean optical outputs of 30mW and doses of 7.5J/cm(2) were used. The 660nm and 684nm laser groups developed significantly (p<0.01) less edema (0.58ml [SE+/-0.17] ml and 0.76ml [SE+/-0.10] respectively) than the control group (1.67ml [SE+/-0.19]) at 4h after injections. Similarly, both laser groups showed a significantly lower number of inflammatory cells in the muscular and conjunctive sub-plantar tissues than the control group. We conclude that both 660nm and 684nm red wavelengths of LLLT are effective in reducing edema formation and inflammatory cell migration when a dose of 7.5J/cm(2) is used.
Red light phototherapy alone is effective for acne vulgaris: randomised, single-blinded clinical trial. Na JI, Suh DH, Department of Dermatology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Background: Recently, a demand for safe and effective treatment of acne has been increasing. Although visible light has attracted attention as a new option, the effect of red light alone has not yet been evaluated.
Objectives:The objective was to assess the efficacy of red light phototherapy with a portable device in acne vulgaris.
Methods: Twenty-eight volunteers with mild to moderate acne were treated with portable red light-emitting devices in this split-face randomized trial. The right or left side of the face was randomized to treatment side and phototherapy was performed for 15 minutes twice a day for 8 weeks. Clinical photographs, lesion counts, and a visual analog scale (VAS) were used to assess each side of the face at baseline and Weeks 1, 2, 4, and 8, and a split-face comparison was performed.
Results: The percent improvement in noninflammatory and inflammatory lesion counts of the treated side was significant compared to the control side (p<.005). VAS decreased from 3.9 to 1.9 on the treatment side and the difference between the treatment and control sides was significant at Week 8 (p<.005).
Conclusions: This study shows that red light phototherapy alone can be a new therapeutic option for acne vulgaris.
ARTICLE
Aesthetic treatments with low level laser therapy. Tatjana Trobonjaca, M.D., Laser Centre, Opatija, Croatia, Zlatko Simunovic, M.D., F.M.H. Pain Clinic-Laser Centre, Locarno, Switzerland.
If taking into the consideration the list of aesthetic disorders which can be treated with either Low Level Laser Therapy (LLT) or surgical lasers, it is justified to say that laser is also the light of beauty. Although its first applications were focused on serious diseases like skin ulcers and painful conditions, employment of LLLT in aesthetics was initiated in the mid seventies. Aesthetic changes are mainly benign and they won’t seriously damage the health state of patients’ body, but aesthetic problems are mainly subjective and the same problem causes different psychological reactions in different people. Development in modern medicine and technology has brought many new techniques and devices, which are successfully used in aesthetics today. Laser is one of the highlights in aesthetics today where it is mostly applied for facial rejuvenation, because the face is psychologically the most sensitive aesthetic area of each person. Facial rejuvenation can be achieved with surgical lasers, which remove superficial layer of atrophic skin, leaving that area to be self-regenerated. It is an invasive method, while the process of regeneration can last a few weeks or even months, with a prohibition of exposure to sunlight. On the other hand, skin rejuvenation can be completed with use of LLLT or athermal lasers like HeliumNeon (HeNe) or infrared (IR). The first one is mostly applied in the treatment of superficial changes, while the IR laser is used for irradiation of deeper structures. LLLT obtains good results in aesthetics due to its three main effects : biostimulative-regenerative, analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect. LLLT can be applied in aesthetics like monotherapy or complementary treatment modality to the topic medications. Frequent indications for LLLT in aesthetics are as follows : Acne, Cellulite, Striae, Alopecia, Wrinkles, Lentigo Senile
