Laser tattoo removal plume ‘probably safer’ than laser hair removal plume
REPORTING FROM MOAS 2018
Other safety issues to consider
Dr. Levin discussed additional safety considerations in performing laser treatments.
“We want to protect the epidermis from injury during the laser exposure, which is currently done with spray cooling, air cooling, and/or contact cooling,” he said. “We want to limit the pain experienced by patients throughout the laser treatment before and after the brief laser exposure. This is often accomplished with the use of ice packs or air cooling. We also want to avoid double pulsing and skip areas. This can sometimes but not always be achieved by paying close attention to clinical endpoints.”
He and his associates are currently developing a device to accomplish all of those safety goals with a multilayer approach. “One of the layers would be a hydrogel, which serves to protect the epidermis and to provide pain relief throughout the laser treatment,” he said. “Above that layer is an indicator layer that is not aqueous, and on top of that is a fine layer of particles. The idea is, if you’re looking at this from above, when you fire the laser, you would see a change of color or some other indicator to show you exactly where you fired the laser. Finally, the multilayer patch also serves to obstruct the laser plume.”
Dr. Levin acknowledged research support from the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery’s Fredric S. Brandt, MD, Innovations in Aesthetics Fellowship Fund and assistance from the Health Hazard Evaluation Program of National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
