Lasers initially developed for faster tattoo removal have shown to be safe and effective in treating pigmentary disorders.
Wausau, WI (June 17, 2020) – Dyspigmentation of the face is a concern of many patients. It is difficult to treat, especially in patients with darker skin types, because of an increased adverse event profile. Novel picosecond lasers were initially developed for faster tattoo removal but have also shown great efficacy in endogenous pigmentary disorders. In particular, the new commercial 730 nm picosecond laser may be effective and safe for the treatment of pigmentary disorders in darker-skinned patients.
This case report, published in Lasers in Surgery and Medicine (LSM), the official journal of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, Inc. (ASLMS), was selected as the June 2020 Editor’s Choice.
The study, led by Sang Ju Lee, PhD and Hye Sung Han, MD, is titled “Successful Treatment of Pigmentary Disorders in Asians With a Novel 730-nm Picosecond Laser.”
Until recently, quality-switched (Qs) nanosecond lasers (ns-lasers) have been the workhorse lasers in treating pigmented lesions. However, the recently commercialized picosecond lasers (ps-lasers) have provided physicians with a novel method to manage pigmented lesions. Most recently, the first ps-laser with a 730-nm wavelength was developed to specifically target melanin and melanocytes.
This study reports about two Asian patients with pigmentary disorders successfully treated with a novel 730 nm, picosecond‐domain, titanium‐sapphire, laser‐pumped laser. In both patients, a significant pigmentary reduction was achieved with only one treatment session and the treatments were well tolerated with minimal discomfort even without topical anesthesia. No post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation or repigmentation was observed at the 6-week follow-up.
“The new commercial 730 nm laser-pumped laser may be effective and safe in treating pigmentary disorders in darker-skinned patients,” concluded Lee.
Dr. Sang Ju Lee is a board-certified dermatologist with a PhD from Yonsei University College of Medicine. He then did a dermatology fellowship at the Gangnam Severance Hospital. After two years of practicing general dermatology at the Gangnam Severance Hospital, he joined as a partner of a private grouped practice in Seoul, the Yonsei Star Skin & Laser Clinic.
Dr. Hye Sung Han is a graduate with an MD from Chung-Ang University College of Medicine and is currently a third-year resident at the Department of Dermatology at Chung-Ang University Hospital.
Editor’s Choice is an exclusive article published in LSM, the official journal of the ASLMS. View the complete manuscript.
The American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, Inc. (ASLMS) is the largest multidisciplinary professional organization dedicated to the development and application of lasers and related technology for health care applications. ASLMS promotes excellence in patient care by advancing biomedical application of lasers and other related technologies worldwide. ASLMS membership includes physicians, surgeons, nurses and allied health professionals representing multiple specialties, physicists involved in product development, biomedical engineers, biologists, industry representatives and manufacturers. For more information, visit aslms.org.