Pigment removal

Pigmented lesions: an annoying blemish

Pigmented lesions, and in particular age spots, are increasingly regarded by the persons affected as a cosmetic blemish. Age spots occur in 50% of women and 20% of men over the age of 50. As such signs of aging are increasingly being seen as annoying, the readiness to have these removed privately is also growing.
There are many different types of pigmented lesions, which differ from one another fundamentally in terms of their morphological and histological characteristics. For this reason, the evaluation of and possible therapy for pigmented lesions should always be reserved to doctors with specialist knowledge.
Benign pigmented lesions such as lentigo simplex, lentigo senilis (age and sun spots) and many other types of naevi may be treated with laser devices in various ways. Q-Switched lasers emit short light pulses in the nanosecond range, which, thanks to their specific wavelength, are selectively absorbed by the skin pigment melanin. The laser treatment itself is uncomplicated and is conducted on an out-patient basis, with or without a local anesthetic.

Choosing the right wavelength: a decisive factor for the success of the treatment

The type of laser is a decisive factor when determining which color pigments may be treated particularly well and which colors do not respond as well to treatment.  Ruby lasers, which work in the near-infrared range, have proved themselves to be almost universally deployable in practice. As a result of the strong absorption of the ruby laser beam by the skin pigment melanin, these devices are particularly well-suited for the treatment of natural pigmented lesions. Patients generally tolerate the treatment without an anesthetic; a local anesthetic is only used in rare cases.
The wavelength of the Ruby or Nd:YAG laser light is specifically absorbed by the color pigments of the lesion. The energy is transferred and then fragments the colored particles from the connective tissue. The fragmented particles are then degraded epidermally and lymphatically. The irradiated area of skin appears whitish for between ten and twenty minutes immediately after treatment. A slight crust then forms, which will slough off after between one and two weeks.
Pigmented lesions may also be treated using ablative lasers. In this respect, it is necessary to differentiate between “cold ablation”, with the Dermablate Erbium:YAG laser for instance, and vaporization with the QuadroStarPRO green or yellow light.

Fractional therapy for gentle treatments

Such lesions can also be treated using the fractional technique. The fractional laser therapy with a Q-Switched laser is unique and allows the treatment of large areas, especially on the face, providing maximum safety and comfort for the patient and minimizing side effects. The fractional laser therapy allows the selective treatment of only “fractions” of the tissue in the form of a grid. This is made possible by splitting the laser beam into several hundred partial rays. This triggers skin renewal and collagen formation with rapid wound healing, which is supported by the untreated skin and therefore involves a very low risk of side effects.