Lasers in dermatology--1985

Since the introduction of medical lasers in 1960, the skin has been a major site for applied laser research and therapy. Argon and carbon dioxide lasers have been the most widely used in clinical practice, and many diseases that were impossible or difficult to manage are now being effectively treated with these. Exciting developments today involve other systems, including tunable dye, ruby, neodymium-YAG, and low-energy lasers. Photodynamic therapy for cancer may provide a selective method of destroying clinically inapparent malignant cells. Lasers now seem to have become an integral part of the dermatologic surgeon's armamentarium.