[Dermatological laser treatment. A review of therapeutic possibilities and equipment]

Laser light is monochromatic light that is delivered either in order to perform a precise thermal destruction of specific skin components or in order to ablate skin in an unspecific, but highly controlled way. Optimal dermatological laser treatment requires carefully selected laser wavelengths for specific indications. It is recommended that laser treatment of vascular lesions such as naevus flammeus and haemangiomas is carried out in early childhood. In laser treatment of benign, pigmented lesions it is important to distinguish between epidermal and dermal lesions, since treatment response as well as optimal laser wavelengths depend on this subclassification. The treatment of tattoos is undertaken by different laser types, of which the most optimal can be selected by skin reflectance measurements. Novel fields of indications for dermatological laser therapy are verrucae vulgares, erythematous hypertrophic scars, undesired hair growth, and wrinkled, photoaged facial skin.