Laser Science article  When the buzz on lasers as an anti-aging tool first started in the early 1990s, people didn’t know what to make of it. To most people, lasers were symbols of the kind of high-tech wizardry associated with the characters in Star Wars. Faster than the speed of light, however, lasers went from being a novel idea of the future to a much-improved alternative to the cosmetic procedures that already existed.Almost five years later, laser technology has evolved into a mighty presence in cosmetic improvements. In the past, lasers were limited to the treatment of certain cosmetic condi­tions, such as birthmarks, that affected only a small group of people.All this changed with the introduction of the carbon dioxide (C02) laser, the first of its kind to actually resurface the skin. Before the C02 laser, the only other procedure that could regenerate the superficial and deep layers of skin was a deep phenol peel and dermabrasion. Not long afterward, it seemed as if new cosmetic lasers were being introduced every day.A lot of patients say that they’re afraid of lasers— usually because they assume that there’s only one type of (scary) laser—but they are reassured after knowing that “lasers” is just an umbrella term encompassing different treatments. This situation is comparable to airplanes and cars, which are different forms of transportation with similar engineering characteristics.So, how does a laser work? It works by focusing a beam of light amplified into the skin; when the beam hits the skin, it then attracts to certain components; ie, a laser for brown spots is attracted to melanin, or pigment, and a vascular laser attracts to the red blood vessels. Since the subject of lasers is vast enough to fill an entire book, we will limit our discussion to the cos­metic lasers that are indispensable for bringing out your beauty. Some skin problems with Leaser  * warts* port wine stains and birthmarks* remove tattoo

18/04/2011

by Technology

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