Laser Effects on Skin Melanin

Abstract

Melanin is investigated as a pigment that is responsible for colorization in human skin. The color of human skin varies from dark brown to nearly colorless "pinkish white". The amount of skin melanin in the individual skin depends on both genetic and environmental factors. This offers some protection against the damaging effects of ultraviolet radiation. For the studies of laser effects on the skin melanin, the suitable sample is chosen depends on the availability for getting the sample and also the existence of skin melanin on that sample. Therefore, the skin of laboratory rat is used as an experimental sample. Carbon dioxide laser is used as a source of radiation in this study because of its 10.6μm of wavelength which has an ability to penetrate effectively on soft tissue that contains 90% of water. The rat skin is exposed to carbon dioxide laser "CO 2 laser" radiation and any changes on the skin is observed and analyzed. After the exposure, the pieces of normal and exposed skin are preserved. In order to go through the sample, histological method is carried out to make the standard slides for examination under the compound light microscope. The images obtained on the both skin sample the normal and the exposed skin show that there are changes in both skin structures which can be seen clearly under the microscope lenses. These changes contributed by the interaction of the skin cells to the heat and energy produced by the carbon dioxide laser "CO 2 laser" during the exposure time.

The effects of different laser doses on skin

“…Advances of these treatment modalities, such as various types of laser, intense pulsed light (IPL), and light emitting diodes (LED), open a good opportunity for multiple clinical applications in treating cutaneous diseases and performing cosmetic procedures. In dermatologic treatment with laser, the continuous wave carbon dioxide (CW CO 2 laser) is the most widely used today (Omar et al, 2009). It emits spectral energy in the far Infrared (IR) portion of the electromagnetic spectrum at 10,600 nm.…”

Comparison of the Effect of High-Intensity Laser Therapy (HILT) on Skin Surface Temperature and Vein Diameter in Pigmented and Non-Pigmented Skin in Healthy Racehorses

“…The reaction of the skin to laser radiation depends on many physical and chemical factors [32]. Among them are skin color and the amount of melanin located in the epidermis.…”

The effect of CO2 laser treatment on skin tissue

“…In medical applications, lasers are generally used in treatment processes and surgical applications on the skin. The most common skin treatments include wrinkle removal, tumor treatment, treating scars, tattoo removal, and hair removal . The Er:YAG laser's affinity for water is 10–16 times greater than the CO 2 laser, which makes it a suitable resurfacing laser because of the reduced heat injury and deeper control of the different properties of these two laser systems that produce different clinical effects.…”