Midinfrared Lasers

Several investigators have shown successful rejuvenation of photodamaged skin after intense pulsed light (IPL) treatment [65–67]. The IPL source emits a broad, continuous spectrum of light in the range of 515 nm to 1200 nm. Depending on the clinical application, cut-off filters are used to eliminate shorter wavelengths, with shorter filters favoring heating of melanin and hemoglobin. Improvement in skin coarseness, irregular pigmentation, pore size, and telangiectasia is typical after a series of IPL treatments (fluences 30–50 J/cm²), however, neocollagenesis and dermal collagen remodeling with subsequent improvement in rhytides following treatment has been more modest. The mild effect on dermal collagen is thought to be induced by heat diffusion from the vasculature with subsequent release of inflammatory mediators stimulated by vessel heating [68].