How does it work?
Lasers are scientific instruments which produce intense high energy light at particular wavelengths.
Are all vascular lasers the same?
No. Different lasers produce different wavelengths (colours) of light. The copper bromide laser produces yellow light which is preferentially absorbed by the red cells of the blood, and not by the normal skin. It also produces green light which is mainly absorbed by the melanin, or the pigmentation in the skin. The laser light when it is absorbed selectively destroys these parts of the skin.
Is the laser dangerous?
The laser penetrates skin to a maximum of about one millimetre, so it does not affect any deeper tissues. The only organ of the body which the laser can damage is the eye, and it is for this reason that eye protection is used.
What can I treat?
The copper bromide laser is really two lasers in one. It can emit yellow laser light (578 nm), or green light (511 nm). The yellow light can treat the following skin blemishes
- Facial telangiectasias (spider veins)
- Spider angiomas
- Venous lakes
The green light can treat the following skin blemishes
Whilst a combination of both colours can treat
- Solar kerataoses (sun spots)
- Seborrhoeic kerataoses (age spots)
- Other benign papules
