Laser and Light-Based Devices Expand the Aesthetic Treatment Toolkit
Key Takeaways
- A 2026 review shows how various laser technologies have expanded aesthetic treatment options while aiming to reduce downtime and improve tolerability.
- The authors reviewed applications spanning skin resurfacing, photoaging, scars, vascular lesions, dyschromia, and tattoo removal, as well as combination approaches incorporating other approaches.
- Patient selection, device parameters, and skin phototype remain important considerations, particularly for reducing complications such as postinflammatory hyperpigmentation.
Laser and light-based energy devices continue to evolve beyond traditional resurfacing, with newer platforms offering aesthetic clinicians a broader range of options for photoaging, scars, vascular lesions, pigmentation, and tattoo removal, according to a narrative review published online in the Journal of Craniofacial Surgery.
How Laser and Light Technologies Are Evolving in Aesthetic Dermatology
Lam and colleagues reviewed current evidence surrounding aesthetic and therapeutic applications of laser and light technologies, including fractional, nonablative, picosecond, and hybrid systems. The authors reported that ablative carbon dioxide (CO2) and erbium (Er) lasers remain the gold standard for advanced photoaging and scar remodeling, while fractional and nonablative approaches can provide favorable outcomes with improved tolerability and less downtime.
The reviewers identified pulsed dye and Nd lasers as effective options for superficial and deeper vascular lesions, respectively. Q-switched and picosecond technologies remained central to pigment and tattoo treatment, they said, with emerging evidence cited by the authors favoring picosecond platforms for safety and patient comfort.
The review also explored multimodal strategies combining laser treatment with radiofrequency, microneedling, platelet-rich plasma, and laser-assisted drug delivery. The authors added that careful patient selection, individualized parameters, and consideration of skin phototype remain important for limiting adverse effects, including postinflammatory hyperpigmentation.
“An individualized, evidence-based approach incorporating these technologies is essential for optimizing outcomes in dermatologic practice,” they wrote.
Source
Journal of Craniofacial Surgery. Doi:10.1097/SCS.0000000000013227