Laser technology may be used in the treatment of severe acne, atherosclerotic plaque, and cellulite. Researchers from the Wellman Center for Photomedicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and the Department of Energy’s Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (Jefferson Lab) will present their results at the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery (ASLMS) 26th Annual Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts.
The researchers studied the effects of lasers on both human and pig fat to find which laser would not damage the outer skin. They used a Free-Electron Laser facility at Jefferson Lab of a wavelength of infrared laser light with a range of 800-2600 nanometers. They narrowed in the laser selection by first testing different lasers on water. The researchers narrowed in there laser wavelengths that worked best with fat. These wavelengths are 915, 1210, and 1720 nm.
They exposed pieces of intact pig skin and fat tissue samples to the free-electron laser infrared light with the 1210 and 1720 nm wavelengths to see the results. The goal was to target the fat without damaging the skin. The 1210 nm wavelength heated the pig fat 1cm deeper than the 1720 nm.
Dr. Rox Anderson who is the lead author of this study and is also a practicing dermatologist at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) believes that the use of fat targeting laser will have multiple health benefits.
“The root cause of acne is a lipid-rich gland, the sebaceous gland, which sits a few millimeters below the surface of the skin,” Anderson said, “We want to be able to selectively target the sebaceous gland, and this research shows that if we can build lasers at this region of the spectrum, we may be able to do that.”
Dr. Anderson believes that the most beneficial laser treatment they will have is for the treatment of acne. The lasers would be directed at the sebaceous glands. Acne drugs containing isotretinoin, Accutane is the brand name, can have an adverse side effects causing severe birth defects for mothers that have used during pregnancy. The FDA made it more difficult for patients to take the drug by passing two negative pregnancy tests and promising to use 2 different forms of contraception. The women also need to take a pregnancy test each month taking the drug.
Other uses for the laser technology could be for treatment for the removal of plaque build up in the arteries. By removing the fatty buildup it could reduce the amount of people that suffer from heart disease and stroke.
It would be very likely to see the laser treatment being used to melt cellulite which causes the skin to be textured and not smooth. It would be some time to perfect this technology and the study at this time is only preliminary.
ArrivaCostaRica.com is the primary web site for information about plastic surgery and dentistry in Costa Rica. See www.arrivacostarica.com
Tags: laser treatments