Dr. Vegas’ Monthly Blog:
Dermatology notes from Dr. H.L. Greenberg
The 1st time I ever saw a laser fired, I was shocked and awed by wrinkles literally disappearing right before my eyes. My mentor was using a Carbon Dioxide (CO2) laser to resurface the patient’s skin and erase years of sun damage. During my medical training at Georgetown University Hospital, I was absolutely amazed to discover that light could be used to affect such a change. The next patient I saw that day had blood vessels erased with a pulsed dye laser and I was blown away by this other laser’s ability to take away vessels-something that I never imagined possible. Ever since those Washington, D.C. days, I have been fascinated by lasers, light and the magic they can perform on the skin.
The word Laser means, “Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation”. Each laser is unique in that energy is fired through a medium (gas, dye or crystal), producing a specific wavelength of light (measured in nanometers-nm) that can in turn hit and destroy a single target, leaving the surrounding tissue unharmed. Lasers can be used to treat many different conditions from unwanted body hair to wrinkles, tattoo ink and spider veins. Each laser is unique and typically has only one function- destroying a solitary target. Such specific and specialized machines come at a high cost- typically $100,000 apiece. Our newest laser is Cynosure/ConBio’s tattoo removal laser, the RevLite SI Q Switched Yag laser- it fires energy at 1064nm (black ink is the target) and can be halved to fire at 532nm (red ink is the target).
Ericka Dunlap
Miss America 2004
has a Laser Tattoo Removal procedure
performed at Las Vegas Dermatology®
WATCH HERE
We have 2 lasers for hair removal- a Yag for darker skinned patients with dark hair and an Alexandrite (755nm) for lighter skinned patients with dark hair. Because dark hair is the target, neither the Yag or the Alex will hit red, blonde or white/grey hairs. There’s a certain level of satisfaction when hairs literally pop out of the skin while being hit with laser energy. Hair thinning and a reduction in the number of hairs occurs after each treatment. For laser hair removal; it typically takes 6 sessions to consider the hair gone; each time the laser works to destroy the hair follicle. The Cynergy laser is a combination pulsed dye (585nm), Yag machine that fires 2 wavelengths sequentially turning blood vessel hemoglobin into methemoglobin and then into shattered vessel that the body naturally absorbs. Laser vein destruction is really amazing, and may take 4 or so times to ensure the vessel is gone.
Of all the lasers that we have, my favorite remains my first love, the CO2 laser (10,064nm). Times have changed and the full face totally ablative CO2 laser I had seen demonstrated in D.C. has given way to newer Fractional CO2 technology. With CO2 lasers, wrinkles are erased and patients are left with smoother, more youthful appearing skin. Typically there is a week of redness and one month of pink discoloration with an aggressive fractional CO2 laser treatment. I used to enjoy telling people, “I don’t have a new car or a new house, but we do have the best lasers in Las Vegas.” When asked, I simply explain, “It’s a matter of pride to have the best and most advanced equipment to treat patients.” With lasers, technology matters- a lot, and you don’t want to skimp on technology. Whether it’s laser hair removal, laser tattoo removal, laser blood vessel destruction, laser facials or laser wrinkle removal- we probably have a laser that can treat whatever ails you. Recreating the magic I felt the first time I saw a laser treatment that day in D.C. is what keeps me motivated.
