Lasers can now be used to treat a variety of common and uncommon problems in the skin. Lasers can successfully treat some unwanted vascular lesions such as large and small blood vessels, especially on the face. Different lasers are effective at treating pigmented lesions, such as freckles, "age spots" or tattoos. Lasers are available for treating unwanted wrinkles and some forms of scarring (especially acne scarring). Newer lasers are available for removing unwanted hair. It is important that a physician with knowledge of the skin such as a dermatologist assesses any lesion before treatment with a laser to avoid treating things that will not respond, or that should not be treated with laser (e.g. a misdiagnosed skin cancer).

As with any medical procedure there are possible problems with laser treatment. Laser treatment of the skin does not pose a risk to general health, but it may have local effects. Depending on the laser used and for what reason, these risks vary a lot. Once again, you should speak to an expert before considering laser treatment to find out what risks accompany any treatment you are considering.

Many conditions in the skin, both diseases and the simple result of growing older can lead to unwanted red spots. Vascular lasers selectively targets red spots in the skin. It is important once again to make sure that any area to be treated is properly assessed to make sure it is appropriate for laser treatment. Examples of treatable lesions include:

Telangiectasias: The small spider-like enlarged blood vessels often seen on the face (telangiectasias) as the result of sun exposure and increasing age can usually be completely removed with a simple outpatient treatment with minimal risk of problems.

Port-Wine Stains: Flat pink or red birthmarks (sometimes large), which are often, present at birth.

Some patients with a skin condition called rosacea can develop constant redness of the cheeks and/or nose. This may respond at least in part to pulsed dye laser treatment.

The Nd:YAG Laser is used to treat tattoos and pigmented lesions-brown spots such as freckles or "age spots".

TATTOOS

Tattoos are often subdivided into amateur and professional tattoos. Although both types can be treated with laser, amateur tattoos respond more completely and more quickly (with fewer treatments) than professional tattoos.

Darker colours (such as black) of tattoos do best with laser. Some colours such as green and yellow don't do as well with lasers. Your doctor can let you know how well your tattoo will likely respond to treatment and what to expect.

The laser used at The Cosmetic Care and Laser Surgery Centre in Women's College Hospital to treat tattoos is also used to treat pigmented lesions - brown spots. This is the Nd:YAG laser.

BROWN SPOTS - PIGMENTED LESIONS

Brown spots or pigmented lesions on the skin are very common as we get older. Most of these are harmless and only of cosmetic concern, but it is important that enlarging or irregular brown spots be assessed before being considered for laser treatment. Examples of these spots treated are:

• Permanent sunburn freckles or Lentigines
• Flat brown spots on the hands or face (Liver spots)
• Blue-grey birthmarks on the face (Nevus of Ota)
• Some other brown lesions

Once again it is very important to have an accurate diagnosis of what brown spots are being treated prior to laser treatment. Inaccurate diagnosis and inadvertent laser treatment of a skin cancer (melanoma) may delay proper treatment and result even in death. Someone should assess you with expertise in skin and its diseases (such as a dermatologist).