Being younger and more gorgeous, having fewer wrinkles and fewer spots… The aesthetic dermatology market is constantly changing and both supply and demand are diversified. Several procedures are currently available on the dermocosmetic market and some of them can be painful and have several side effects. But research in this field is going forward and optical fibers are playing a larger role.
More and more new lasers are coming on the dermocosmetic market, promising precise, fast and above all, non-invasive treatments unlike many current methods. If we take the methods currently on the market, lots of them can cause discomfort during treatments and side effects. The multiple sessions needed are usually expensive. Because of all of this, many people lose interest in these treatments or simply give up.
Today, we see more and more laser devices with optical fibers, allowing them to be flexible, light and easy for the person administering the treatment to handle. Many of these lasers can be non-invasive in some cases, and can even reduce the risk of side effects. We see these new lasers in the fields of wrinkle treatment, fat reduction, muscle tone improvement and many other applications.
Goodbye Scars, Thanks to Optical Fibers
Removing various scars, age spots, sun damage on your skin or acne scars is also possible with fiber lasers. These methods are often more reliable, thanks to superior beam quality.
For some ablative erbium lasers in dermocosmetics used to remove severe acne scars, among other things, their frequencies target the water in our skin by creating small holes. These burned areas, separated by untreated areas, can heal quickly. These micro lesions will create new collagen and over time, tone and firm the skin and thus reduce scars by giving more texture to the skin.
Recently, we have seen new erbium lasers on the market, specifically for hypertrophic scar treatment. Hypertrophic scars are scars that increase in volume, due to too much collagen production during the healing process, thus forming a skin deformation. A recent trial with the 1550 nm erbium-doped fiber laser showed an overall improvement in scars after four treatments at two-week intervals. Scar texture showed the most significant improvement and younger scars (less than two years) showed better overall improvement compared to older scars.
A randomize controlled trial was also conducted by Tierney and al. a few years ago, where a 1550 nm erbium doped fiber laser (also known as nonablative fractional laser or NAFL) was compared to a V-beam pulsed dye laser (PDL). For the same period, the NAFL laser showed greater improvement in scar appearance than the PDL.
From Tattoos to Warts
Would you like to get rid of an old or embarrassing tattoo? Fiber lasers are also used for tattoo removal. Demand is increasing for this treatment, which uses the beam’s heat to break apart the tattoo’s ink. The number of treatments depends on your age, tattoo colors and size, as well as the color of your skin. Technological advances are fast in this field. We can see several new fiber lasers on the market, offering a non-invasive treatment with an increasingly shorter time between each session, simply to give the body time to eliminate the pigments after being fragmented by the laser.
Bothersome old-age warts can also be removed with an erbium laser. Unlike liquid nitrogen treatment, the laser doesn’t leave any scars in most cases. However, unlike nitrogen, the laser requires a small local anesthetic.
The Right Fiber for the Right Dermocosmetic Application
As you can see, fiber lasers are taking over the dermocosmetic market. Erbium lasers are a good example, like the 2 µm fiber laser sources for non-invasive treatments.
Regardless of your application or your research, our experts can help you choose the right fiber in our portfolio for your medical device, whether it is for an application with erbium or thulium fibers. Don’t hesitate to contact us for more information.