Laser Treatment of Skin of Color: Safe and Gentle with the Neo®

Lasers have historically been shunned as inappropriate for darker skin types, due to concerns about treatment pain and the risk of pigmentary changes. Now, the Neo medical-aesthetic laser has changed the landscape with an industry-leading safety margin and virtually pain-free treatment of skin of color.This is enabled by the laser’s 650 Microsecond Technology®, through which the laser energy is delivered in a safe pulse duration of 650 microseconds – below the thermal relaxation time of the skin tissue. The bulk of the laser energy passes through to the deep targeted skin tissue, avoiding the overheating of epidermal melanin. As a result, treatment pain is much lower, and potential side effects such as hypo-pigmentation are minimized - particularly on skin types such as African, Asian, Hispanic, or even tanned or olive Caucasian skin.“In our experience, the Neo benefits patients by providing a modality that is safe for darker skin types,” said Michael Gold, MD, dermatologist and founder of The Gold Skin Care Center in Nashville, TN. “The use of a pulse duration shorter than the relaxation time of dermal cells allows efficient, long-lasting and virtually pain-free hair removal, which can be critical to patient acceptance of the procedure.”“I also like the way this laser’s collimated lens allows the operator to work at any distance from the area being treated,” said Dr. Gold.“PFB represents a serious problem for many of my patients of skin types V and VI,” said Arthur Sumrall, MD, a dermatologist who practices in Indianapolis, IN. “This led me to evaluate all of the laser technologies on the market. After a thorough evaluation, the best choice proved to be the Neo from Aerolase. The laser delivered high treatment efficacy coupled with very low patient discomfort – the majority of my patients tolerated up to 30 joules/cm2 without the use of any anesthetic. Patients showed visible improvement even after a single procedure.”“I treat many patients with Asian skin,” said Khalil Khatri, MD, a dermatologist who practices in Chelmsford, MA, and Nashua, NH. “The Neo from Aerolase delivers plenty of power, yet is gentle and safe. In addition to being versatile in terms of the range of skin types and procedures where it can be used, the portability of the Neo appeals to me as I can move it easily among my clinical locations.”James Gordon, MD is an oculoplastic surgeon in White Plains, NY. One of his first clients with the Neo was a well-known Asian-American model. Dr. Gordon treated her for facial rejuvenation, and shortly thereafter she met with a familiar movie producer.“He said she looked great and asked what she had been doing to improve her complexion,” recalled Dr. Gordon. “Next thing I knew, the producer himself was calling me to schedule his own Neo laser treatments.”