What are chromophores and how can they be treated?
On the cosmetic side, chromophores are targeted in procedures such as laser hair removal and some other cosmetic skin procedures, like the removal of age spots. Melanin, one of the naturally occurring chromophores in the skin, can be targeted and specifically heated by the laser while leaving the surrounded skin unheated.
What is a chromophore?
Simply put, a chromophore is the part of a molecule which gives it its color. In physics, the chromophore of a molecule is the space where the balance of energy between two molecular orbitals falls into the visible light spectrum.
Is photodynamic therapy an alternative to photochemical hair removal?
Photochemical destruction, through the creation of toxic mediators such as singlet oxygen or other free radicals, is the approach followed by photodynamic therapy (PDT); this could be a potential alternative technology since it may also work on non-pigmented hairs.
How does photothermal hair removal work?
Photothermal destruction of hair follicles constitutes the fundamental concept of hair removal: melanin, the chromophore contained inside the hair shaft, absorbs the light energy converting it into heat, which spreads to the nearby bulge non-pigmented stem cells, the target.
What is the chromophore for hair removal?
A chromophore is a characteristic of the skin such as melanin (dark pigment), haemoglobin (redness in blood vessels) and water. The laser energy of a certain wavelength is then delivered to this structure selectively and precisely, minimising any damage to the surrounding tissue and structures.
What is a chromophore in laser?
These chromophores are predominantly haemoglobin, melanin, water and foreign bodies. The chromophore haemoglobin will selectively absorb light at 595nm (if using a pulsed dye laser) and the heat generated will potentially destroy the blood vessel.
What is the chromophore for Nd YAG laser?
Nd:YAG 1064nm – This is absorbed by many chromophores and is consider the best all round laser wavelength. It is highly absorbed in haemoglobin so brilliant for the treatment of vascular conditions but also for the treatment of hair removal.
What are the chromophores for IPL treatment?
For Skin Rejuvenation treatments, we target 3 different chromophores during one treatment: water, melanin, and hemoglobin. This produces and overall heating of the dermis for cell renewal.
Which is the chromophore?
Chromophores are molecules in a given material that absorb particular wavelengths of visible light, and in doing so confer colour on the material.
What is chromophore in skin?
Chromophores, the color-producing areas of a molecule, interest both scientists and physicians in multiple disciplines, from the treatment of cancer to cosmetic procedures, as they provide an anchor for a laser in the visible light spectrum.
Is melanin a chromophore?
Absorption of the three main chromophores-melanin, oxyhaemoglobin and water-as a function of wavelength.
Is YAG laser effective for hair removal?
Conclusion The long-pulsed 1064-nm Nd:YAG laser is a safe and effective method of long-term hair reduction in patients with darkly pigmented skin.
What is Nd:YAG laser hair removal?
ND:YAG Laser Hair Removal is also a popular option. It relies on the use of a neodymium-doped yttrium aluminium garnet crystal. It produces two wavelengths. The lower wavelength is effective at treating finer hair, whereas, the higher wavelength can reach deeper follicles housing more terminal hair.
What does IPL do to melanin?
IPL for Brown Spots The melanin absorbs the bursts of light emitted by IPL devices and damages the melanocytes. As a result, the skin repairs itself with cells no longer containing an abundance of melanin.
What are the side effects of IPL?
What are the side effects of IPL treatment?Redness.Swelling.Light bruising.Itching.Peeling.Scabbing.
What does Nd:YAG mean?
Neodymium-doped Yttrium Aluminum GarnetA Specific Type of Laser with Many Applications 'Nd:YAG' stands for 'Neodymium-doped Yttrium Aluminum Garnet,' and 'LASER' is an acronym for 'Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation.
What is the wavelength of laser hair reduction?
The chromophore employed in laser hair reduction is melanin. Melanin absorbs light in the range of 300 to 1200 nm, and lasers in this range of wavelengths can be effectively used for hair reduction. [3] [4]
Which hair type responds better to lasers?
Hair location (axillary and pubic hair respond better than hair on the extremities and chest) Skin and hair color (light skin of Fitzpatrick skin types I-IV with dark hair achieve the best results due to the lack of melanin in the skin and the abundance of melanin to absorb laser energy in the hair follicles)
What is the best way to remove hair?
A variety of options for hair removal are available, such as epilation by plucking or waxing, depilation by shaving, chemical depilatories, electrolysis, eflornithine cream, and laser and intense pulsed light (IPL) systems.
What are the side effects of laser hair removal?
To make matters worse, patients are often given unrealistic expectations. The key is to use the correct laser, especially in dark skinned individuals. Common adverse effects of laser or IPL-based hair removal include post-treatment erythema, pain, and burning. [18] More severe adverse effects include blistering, crusting, dyspigmentation, purpura, and sometimes, scarring. [19] [20] Ocular complications due to accidental injury may be seen. Paradoxical hypertrichosis may rarely occur, more commonly in skin type III and with the use of IPL systems. [21] [22] [23]
How long before laser hair removal?
Avoid hair epilation by plucking or waxing for 6 weeks before the procedure. Sunscreens may be prescribed 4 to 6 weeks before the procedure, especially on exposed areas.
What is the wavelength of light in hair?
The mechanism of action of these systems is the targeting melanin in the hair shaft, follicular epithelium, and hair matrix by emitting light with wavelengths ranging from 600 to 1200 nanometers (nm), because those wavelengths are selectively absorbed by melanin. [2]
What is laser skin treatment?
This term implies a site-specific, thermally mediated injury of microscopic tissue targets by the selective absorption of pulses of radiation by the targets and the chromophores.
What is the best treatment for LHR?
Currently, the only other FDA-approved method of permanent hair reduction is electrolysis, which utilizes a high-frequency electric current, via a fine-wire electrode, to destroy the hair follicle. Electrolysis is most effective for treating finer hair and may be used for nonpigmented hair including white, blonde, and gray hair. However, electrolysis is associated with more pain and longer treatment times than LHR.
When was laser hair reduction first used?
Since the first FDA-approved laser hair reduction (LHR) device was introduced in 1995, LHR has become one of the most commonly performed cosmetic procedures with over 1 million treatments annually , according to statistics from the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. 1 Much of the popularity surrounding LHR can be attributed to its efficacy and excellent safety profile, with minimal discomfort and downtime. 2
How does laser hair removal work?
Laser hair removal is based on the principle of selective photothermolysis, which is the conversion of laser energy to heat, to selectively destroy hair follicles without damaging the surrounding skin tissues. To achieve this effect, laser energy is first absorbed by melanin, the target chromophore in hair. The energy absorbed by melanin is then converted into heat, which subsequently damages the hair growth structures. The surrounding skin, which minimally absorbs energy, remains unaffected. 3,4
What are the hair follicles?
Hair follicles are composed of the bulb (which consists of the matrix and dermal papilla), outer root sheath, bulge, and hair shaft ( Figure 26-3 ). The hair matrix depth in the skin ranges from 2 to 7 mm, depending on the body location, and the hair bulge is approximately 1.5 mm. Hair growth occurs in three phases with distinct changes below the skin in the hair bulb: (1) anagen, the active growth phase during which the hair bulb is most darkly pigmented; (2) catagen, the regression phase when cell division ceases and the follicle begins to involute; and (3) telogen, the resting phase during which the hair bulb is minimally pigmented ( Figure 26-4 ). The hair shaft visible on the surface of the skin, however, is indistinguishable throughout these phases.
What is the chromophore of a laser?
Chromophore is nothing but when you apply a laser beam on human tissue, the component in the tissue which absorbs major amount of laser beam. Example. If you apply diode laser on skin , the majority of the laser beam is aborbed by melanin in the skin and hair, so the chromophore of Diode laser is melanin.
How long does permanent hair reduction last?
The agency defined permanent hair reduction as, “The long-term, stable reduction in the number of hairs regrowing must be stable over a time greater than the duration of the complete growth cycle of Hair follicles, which varies from 4 to 12 months according to body location.
How long does it take for hair to grow back after a perifolicullar edema?
Treatment course varies from machine to machine, on average 4 to 8 session. Treatment interval between sitting is minimum of 25 days or when the hair grows back after 25 days.
