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  • Why are There so Many Different Lasers for Treatment?
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Dr. Richard Fitzpatrick: Lasers are very precise. They are single wavelength. So, you are able to select a wavelength that reacts with the target that you are trying to affect selectively. So, it doesn’t react with the surrounding tissue, but only with the target that you are firing the laser at. And by adjusting the wavelength and the pulse width, which means how long the laser is going to be interacting with that target and the energy, you can change the effects that you are having on tissue.

And that is why we have to have so many different lasers is because they are very precise for that target, but if you try to target something else, you may not be able to at all. Or, you may run into problems. So, you need a different laser for different structures you are trying to affect. But, it’s very exciting because we can treat things that were untreatable before. Black, brown, blue birthmarks that occur on the face, that were considered untreatable 20 years ago, we can virtually eliminate.

Red and purple birthmarks, we can get rid of, and any type of sun damage. I get very excited when I see someone with bad sun damage, because I know I can make a dramatic effect on it. And I use a variety of approaches. I use the lasers. I use Botox. I use fillers. I use volumizing agents. So, it’s always a combination of things that make people better.

Why are There so Many Different Lasers for Treatment?

Doctor Richard Fitzpatrick explains why there are so many different types of lasers used in skin treatments.