[WONTECH] Pastelle

Stable and efficient treatment of melasma with PTP (Photoacoustic Technology Pulse)

Summer is the season for outdoor activity and a lot of sun exposure. People tend to go on social and family outings, sporting activities and travels in the autumn as well. In these seasons, increased outdoor activities expose the skin to strong UV rays and the heat from the sun which in turn cause pigmentary lesions such as freckles or melasma. Pigmentary lesions darken the overall facial skin tone, lending to an aged appearance. Once formed, they are not easy to get rid of, making prevention very important. Among different types of pigmentary problems, melasma is particularly difficult to treat and frequently reappears. Unfortunately, patients are driven to resort to quick-fixes which often result in treatment failure.

Among past experiences with various combinations of treatment for melasma, the most basic and effective mode of treatment seems to be laser toning. Various laser devices have been evaluated based on consistency of single wavelength they produce through Q-switching. Treatment with such devices may fail to bring desired effect or cause side effects such as partial hypomelanosis.

[Ad. ▶Ultra Skin/Pastelle - Manufacturer: WONTECH(www.wtlaser.com)]

Faced with such shortcomings in treatment of melasma, I came across news that WONTECH, a respected laser manufacturer specializing in Q-switched Nd:YAG, was introducing Pastelle, a new Nd:YAG with PTP (Photoacoustic Technology Pulse). After seeing the superior effect of the Pastelle laser through various demonstrations and tests, I decided to use Pastelle to treat melasma. It was not an easy decision as there was no proof of PTP’s clinical effect on melasma removal and rejuvenation although this new laser had proven performance of previous Q-switched Nd:YAG laser of Cosjet TR. However, I came to understand that this new laser was the best choice based on the testimonials from other doctors and my past experience with using Q-switched Nd:YAG laser.

In terms of beam pattern and pigmentary response (Top Hat Mode & irradiation time), the most important features of toning, the Pastelle laser allows softer beam and stability with power consistency in consecutive shots. This enables a more reliable and efficient procedure. Although the Pastelle laser may not have a dramatic effect in melasma treatment as that of other devices, the laser is softly absorbed in the pigment and the new mode of PTP offers a benefit to patients not responding to the previous Q-switched mode, which increases the patient compliance. Moreover, this new treatment has the added advantage of rarely causing common complications such as rebound melasma or hypomelanosis.

Another benefit of PTP is that it only causes a warm sensation and no pain, thus making the procedure more comfortable for the patients. Perhaps the biggest benefit is the automatic calibration which adjusts various ambient temperatures, power instabilities from long-term use and long, consecutive shots, thus bringing more stability. Despite its only recent introduction, the Pastelle laser is an excellent and reliable treatment tool and I make no hesitation to recommend it to my colleagues.

Before treatment     /     After treatment

[BISON MEDICAL] Copper Bromide Laser

 

Original Article : http://idnps.com/products/bison-medical/copper-bromide-laser/

Laser treatment that allows drastic effect with doctor’s skills
 
I first came across dual wavelength copper laser in the 1990’s during my resident years at the university hospital’s dermatology clinic. At the time the copper vapor laser was newly introduced at the hospital and I took on the role of setting the first parameters and explaining the usage to other doctors. Naturally, I read a lot of literature about this laser and learned many of its features. Based on this experience, I published a paper titled ‘Dual wavelength laser treatment with copper vapor laser,’ the first paper to deal with this topic in Korea, and related materials were also introduced in the Journal of American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery and the Journal of Australasian Society for Dermatology Research.
 
Korean hospitals in the early 90s did not enjoy the vast array of lasers that are available today. Especially, there was a lack of knowledge on the dual wavelength copper vapor laser that works on both pigmentary and vascular lesions. This laser has a special place with me as it provided the first opportunity for me to start using laser treatment and understand the basic principles involved. Last June, I led a workshop in the Philippines with 80 local doctors. The dual wavelength Copper Bromide Laser was first introduced to the Philippines at this workshop to great enthusiasm of the local specialists.
 
The Copper Bromide Laser developed by Bison Medical produces two wavelengths of Yellow 578 nm and Green 511 nm from a single tube and can select one of five combination modes depending on the indication. The wavelength of 578 nm (Yellow) is very close to 577 nm, one of three oxyhemoglobin’s absorption peaks. Therefore, it is not readily absorbed into normal skin tissues while being selectively absorbed into oxyhemoglobin within blood vessels to effectively destroy vascular anomaly. The wavelength of 511 nm (Green) has high absorption rate in melanin and thereby selectively destroys it.
 

[Ad. ▶ COPPER BROMID(Yellow/Green laser) – Manufacturer: BISON(www.bisonmedical.com)

 
The Copper Bromide Laser treats both pigmented and vascular lesions and thus has a wide range of indications including melasma, blemishes, freckles, facial flushing, erythema, acne erythema, telangiectasia, hemangioma, acne papules, seborrheic keratosis, psoriasis, raised lesions, and brightening.
Different from other lasers for vascular lesions, the Copper Bromide Laser does not rupture the blood vessels but gradually destroys them, thus causing minimal bruising and crust formation. In blemish removal of heavily pigmented skin, it entails a short downtime and has low risk of dyspigmentation.
 
This laser treatment is particularly effective and satisfactory for combined vascular and pigmentary lesions such as vascular melasma. As it causes very little downtime, the patient can wash or apply make-up immediately after the procedure. Professor Kim Beomjoon of Chung-Ang University Hospital reported the Copper Bromide Laser’s dual wavelength is effective on epidermal melanin pigment, dermal vascular anomaly and VEGF expression. He also added that the Copper Bromide Laser, with its antiangiogenic effect, treats melasma and delays its reappearance.
This laser treatment visibly brightens the overall skin tone immediately after the procedure and has low risk of side effects such as dyspigmentation, bringing high satisfaction to both the patient and doctor. In combination with other available treatment devices, Copper Bromide Laser may bring more focused and dramatic treatment effect.
 
The 10-15 minute preheating time and learning curve are the few drawbacks, however, the Copper Bromide Laser allows dramatic treatment effect depending on the skill level of the doctor, which sets it apart from other standardized laser devices. Doctors can use this special characteristic to differentiate their clinic from others.

It also has the potential to treat other lesions outside the known basic applications and can open a new chapter of laser treatment for the doctor.