Are all infrared lasers equally effective in skin rejuvenation

In an attempt to limit the prolonged postoperative healing associated with ablative loser skin resurfacing and in response to growing public Interest in less invasive treatment modalities, nonablative laser and light source technology was developed. Over the past few years, several clinical and histologic research studies have been conducted to determine the relative efficacy of these nonablative systems. These systems stimulate dermal collagen remodeling using wavelengths and concomitant tissue cooling that limit Injury to the epidermis, thereby minimizing or eliminating postoperative sequence. While nonablative lasers do not supersede already established ablative laser technologies, they supplement the treatment armamentarium, making a wider range of treatment options available and enhancing the ability to correlate the needs of individual patients more closely with the specific advantages offered by a particular modality. Copyright 2002, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.