The new compact Laser Peel Er:Yag laser for Fresh Peel skin resurfacing treatments is finding its niche in medi-spa settings and dermatology offices.

LASER PEEL PROVIDES INEXPENSIVE ALTERNATIVE FOR SKIN RESURFACING

By Rich Balance
Bal-Tech Medical President

The new, compact "Fresh Peel" ER:YAG offers a precise skin resurfacing treatment that positions itself well in the medi-spa setting for patients presenting sun-damaged skin and fine lines.

"The erbium laser treatment is making a comeback, as physicians are finding that patients again will tolerate a slightly more aggressive skin resurfacing to achieve better results than current non-ablative and photofacial treatments can offer, but they don't want the down time associated with the more invasive 'gold standard' Co2 laser," said Rich Balance, president of Bal-Tech Medical and owner of the Ultimate Image MediSpa in the Chicago suburbs. "The Co2 had been the primary wavelength for skin resurfacing then, due to its traumatic healing course, the non-ablative, serial-type treatment regimens began appearing in an attempt to accomplish the same results with less downtime."

By and large, these technologies were unimpressive at best. Also, the recent success of tissue fillers and Botox further diminished the need for laser treatments in the forehead, periorbital and rhytid perioral regions of the face.

"So, currently, most practices are successfully utilizing laser and pulsed-light for photorejuvenation (eradicating vascular and pigmented lesions) along with injectibles for wrinkles," Balance said. "There is, however, a gap with regards to full-face skin-textural resurfacing/rejuvenation that can be filled nicely with the precise micro-laser peel provided by the Fresh Peel tabletop erbium laser."
"We are introducing this product to many Bal-Tech customers who call or visit our site because it so often fits a need in their treatment regimen," Balance said. "The patient sees results quickly and they are not experiencing the trauma associated with traditional Co2 skin resurfacing."

Erbium lasers are similar to Co2 lasers in basic operation (i.e., both vaporize the outer layers of the stratum corneum and effecting some skin contraction underneath). However, the erbium laser ablates with significantly less heat and surrounding tissue damage, so healing can take place in less than a week, with most redness fading in one to two weeks (as compared to the two to six weeks required recovery period for Co2 resurfacing). Pulsed Co2 lasers provide significantly less precision with 100 to 120 micron ablation and a greater risk of scarring with 50 to 60 microns of thermal damage per pass.

The Laser Peel Erbium Skin Resurfacing System allows the physician to treat layers of skin much thinner than the Co2 laser will address. This precise control allows for a range of selections from a single pass treatment (very light resurfacing) to multipass (deeper resurfacing) peels. Three passes are typically required to produce total epidermal ablation.

The "Fresh Peel" treatment can be offered to younger patients, needing only gentle surface smoothing. A light treatment on Thursday, for example, will heal sufficiently for return to work on Monday. Deeper treatments necessary for addressing deeper skin defects will require a full week of healing time. The precision available with the Laser Peel System also increases the number of treatable surface areas. For the first time, the delicate skin on the neck and back and hands can be safely and effectively resurfaced. The Laser Peel System can also be used for a well-blended result around the eyes and upper lip without the telltale line of demarcation noticed with the use of the Co2 laser.

In comparison to Co2 laser resurfacing, the additional lack of heat damage with erbium treatments yields a rapidly increased healing sequence with less patient discomfort. Due to this minimal production of heat, subsequent redness (which can last from 12 to 24 weeks with Co2 lasers) is much more transient.

Healing time for disappearance of redness following erbium laser treatment is typically only one to two weeks compared to the significantly longer recovery period needed after Co2 laser treatments. In studies comparing the Co2 laser to erbium, the long-term follow-up has yielded virtually equal results. Because the erbium laser produces less heat, the risk for both hyper- and hypo-pigmentation is greatly reduced in comparison to other lasers.

"The three different power levels offered on the Laser Peel and various repetitions rates are used to achieve different depths of ablation of the epidermis," Balance said. "Physicians are able to optimize the effect for different applications by controlling the energy of the laser pulse and repetition rate of the treatment beam."

Balance sees a bright future for this compact Fresh Peel System because superficial ablation, "peeling" or "epidermabrasion" has traditionally been accomplished by dermabrasion, chemical peels, or particle micro-epidermabrasion, none of which contain the tissue absorption and collagen stimulation characteristics of the Erbium laser.

To learn more about the "Fresh Peel" Laser Peel System, contact Bal-Tech Medical at 1-800-574-2152.