Dermatology Glossary L

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Laser
This is a device that emits a powerful beam of light of a specific wavelength. The word is an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Different types of lasers may be used to treat different skin conditions.

Lasers of different color (wavelength), intensity, or pattern may be used to remove  unwanted hair, decrease the visibility of spider veins, decrease the appearance of pigmented lesions, smooth out wrinkles, or tighten skin.

Ablative lasers, which are used to smooth wrinkles and acne scarring, wound the skin to some degree, causing a variable amount of crusting, scabbing, and redness. Nonablative lasers, which are used to decrease skin redness, brown discoloration, and sagging skin and to remove unwanted hair, do not wound the surface of the skin and therefore require little or no healing time.

Laser skin resurfacing

Laser Skin Resurfacing Before Laser Skin Resurfacing Immediately After Laser Skin Resurfacing 10 Days After Laser Skin Resurfacing Healed

Before

Immediately
After

10 Days After

Healed

Laser skin resufacing removes the skin’s wrinkled, scarred, or splotchy upper layers, and allows the growth of new skin that is more youthful appearing. Until recently, the CO2 laser was the only option for resurfacing procedures. Although it can make a person look significantly younger, it requires at least a week of recovery time. However, there are now more gentle resurfacing lasers available, such as the Fraxel, Fractional CO2, Active FX, Pearl, and the Portrait plasma laser. All of these are less traumatizing to the skin and require less downtime, but may require multiple treatments to achieve the same results.  but require far less downtime than the traditional CO2 laser.

Latisse

EyelashesLatisse™ (bimatoprost ophthalmic solution) 0.03% is a prescription treatment approved by the FDA for the treatment of inadequate or insufficient eyelashes The use of Latisse lead to longer, fuller and darker eyelashes. Although the precise mechanism of action is not known, research suggests that the growth of eyelashes occurs by increasing the percent of hairs in, and the duration of, the growth (anagen) phase of the eyelashes. Lashes can grow longer, thicker and darker because Latisse can prolongs this growth phase.

LED photomodulation
Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) painlessly stimulate collagen production. After several treatments, some patients notice that their skin looks smoother, less red, and more even in color, although the changes may be subtle.

Leg-vein stripping
This is a surgical procedure for the removal of varicose veins. Until recently, this was performed under general anesthesia and left scars at the incision sites. An alternative approach, ambulatory phlebectomy, provides a less invasive means of achieving the same results. Tiny incisions are made into the skin along the vein and small fragments of the vein are gently extracted. Endovenous vein removal relies upon the use of an ultrasound guided laser or a radio-frequency probe to heat up the walls of large veins so that they collapse

Lentigo
This is the medical term for a sun-induced brown spot on the skin, also referred to as “age spots” or “liver spots”.  Lentigines, the plural of lentigo, accumulate primarily on the face, the hands, the arms, the legs and other sun-exposed areas, especially on those who have received significant sun exposure.

Liposuction
Liposuction is a body-sculpting procedure that is recommended most commonly, but not lmited to, people, who are close to their ideal body weight,  but have areas of fat that ’won't go away. It works best when performed on “love handles,” saddlebags, the upper arms, the lower abdomen (below the belly button), the buttocks, the neck, and (for men and even some women) the breasts. Done properly, the outpatient operation removes areas of unwanted fat with minimally invasive techniques and limited anesthesia. Liposuction is not a weight-loss treatment. Liposuction does not effectively treat cellulite.

Long-pulsed diode laser
This laser is used to remove hair and reduce the visibility of large facial blue veins and some leg veins. Because of its long pulse duration, it’s can be used more safely on darker skin types without as much risk of hyperpigmentation or scarring.

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Last updated November 25, 2009

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