How do lasers work?

Lasers work in two different ways to fight acne, by shrinking the oil producing sebaceous glands and by killing acne bacteria. To understand why one laser is different from another, a quick understanding of lasers is necessary.

To kill acne bacteria, the laser heats up the tissue surrounding the hair follicle to a temperature high enough that the bacteria cannot survive.

To shrink the sebaceous glands, the laser heats up the skin tissue that contains the highest concentration of fluid. The laser targets the sebaceous (oil) gland, heating it up, shrinking it and causing it to produce less oil.

Properties of laser light

LASER is an acronym for "light amplification by the stimulated emission of radiation".

Lasers are sources of high intensity light with the following properties:

• Monochromatic - light with a single color or wavelength.
• Coherent - light that travels in step like a marching band.
• Collimated - light that travels in parallel lines rather than random.

Because of the physicial properties of lasers, the light they produce is very different than visible light (the rainbow spectrum). Laser light is infinitely more precise and powerful than visible light. So precise that they are able to notch a human hair and so powerful that they can burn a wart or mole right off the skin.

What types of lasers are there?

There are many different types of lasers, but for the purposes of acne treatment, only a few are FDA approved. Click on one of the lasers below to learn more about acne laser treatments.

• Erbium Glass Lasers
• Diode Lasers
• Pule Dye Lasers
• KTP Lasers
• Nd:Yg Lasers

To learn more about laser treatments, contact your local acne physician.