Lasers in dermatology

Abstract

© 2015 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. Long aer Einstein proposed the theoretical concept of stimulated photon emission, Maiman built the rst laser in 1960.1 Dr. Leon Goldman then pioneered the use of lasers in dermatology.2,3 Treatment of basal cell carcinoma with ruby and neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) lasers and tattoo removal with Q-switched ruby laser were reported in 1964 and 1965, respectively.4,5 However, surgical applications were limited because the high-power pulses emitted by these pulsed lasers were unable to perform controlled vaporization or coagulation of tissues. Ruby and other pulsed lasers were essentially abandoned when argon-ion and carbon dioxide (CO2) lasers were widely applied for coagulation and cutting during the 1970s. A new era began in dermatology during the early 1980s when Anderson and Parrish proposed a theory for target-selective injury with pulsed lasers, called selective photothermolysis.6 A 450 µs yellow dye laser was initially developed for treating port-wine lesions, the rst laser cavity design intrinsically.