Lasers and Pigment

1. I work with lasers and I release that when a laser is targeting brown spots the langerhan cells in the immune system will asborb them since the laser has destroyed them. The immune system will absorb the cells just like white bllod cells do in the body. My question is will the immune systen in the skin also absorb a cell that is dead from damage from free radicals or will it go throught the whole kertinization phase. I would think that the immune system would take care of the dead cells before kertinization since langerhan cells absorb the brown cells filed with melanin that have been damaged by the laser . 2. How effective are the home-use photo-rejuvenation devices (like Omnilux New-U, DPL System, and LightStim) for wrinkles and hyperpigmentation? Worth the money?

1.   I think it’s great that you’re thinking about how lasers work!  It shows you’re really thinking about what you do and trying to understand as much as you can.  Remember though that when you’re treating brown spots the target (chromophore) is the melanin not the cells themselves. The cells themselves aren’t dying like they would for example with liquid nitrogen treatment.

The melanin is both outside and inside the pigment making cells (melanocytes).  It’s the melanin that gets broken up into tiny particles that are carried away by scavenger cells from the immune system.   The cells that keratinize (mature) are called keratinocytes and they are a completely different cell type than the pigment making cells.  Hope this helps.

 2.   I’ll get back to you on this one next week. 

Dr. Brandith Irwin, MD

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Hi, I’m Dr. Irwin. I believe that consumers deserve a medically trained and unbiased skin care advocate.

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