New lasers for ethnic skin

Long and slow wins the day. Shorter-wavelength laser light (left) is absorbed by and destroys melanin in the skin, causing discoloration. Longer-wavelength laser light, however, left longer on the skin, does not cause this problem.

This year, seven different lasers became available for the treatment of ethnic (defined as nonwhite) skin. Dermatologist Christine Min-Wei Lee, a clinical instructor at the University of California, San Francisco, discussed the use of some of these lasers for medical and cosmetic purposes at the American Academy of Dermatology’s summer scientific meeting last July in Anaheim, CA.

The development of lasers to treat darker-skinned patients was imperative, said Lee, because many skin conditions are particular to patients of nonwhite ethnicities. For example, pseudofolliculitis barbae, a skin condition that occurs when highly curved hairs of the beard grow back into the skin, causing inflammation and ingrown hairs, affects mainly African-American men. Also, nevus of Ota, a bluish lesion of the skin, is common in people of Asian descent.

Older lasers caused scarring in ethnic patients because the short-wavelength light was absorbed by melanin, the skin’s pigment, causing the melanin to be broken up into smaller fragments and flushed away by the body’s immune system. Lasers with longer wavelengths failed because they did not deliver enough energy to the skin.

The new lasers combine longer wavelengths with longer pulse durations— the time in which skin is exposed to the laser—and cooling devices to bring down the temperature of the skin following treatment. The longer pulse durations allow more energy to be delivered to the skin, and cooling devices help prevent burning.

Although these new lasers are safer for use on ethnic skin, Lee cautions that any laser can cause scarring when wielded by an untrained individual. For best results, people should consult with a dermatologist knowledgeable in ethnic skin care before any laser treatments.