A process for the removal of superficial epidermal skin cells in the human skin. A contaminant having a high absorption at at least one wavelength of light is topically applied to the surface of the skin. Some of the contaminant is forced to infiltrate into spaces between the superficial epidermal cells. The skin section is illuminated with short laser pulses at the above wavelength, with at least one of the pulses having sufficient energy to cause some of the particles to explode tearing off the superficial epidermal skin cells. In a preferred embodiment, the contaminant includes 1 micron graphite particles and the laser used is a Nd:YAG laser.
This invention is a continuation in part of Ser. No. 08/005,810 filed Jan. 19, 1993, now pending which was a continuation in part of Ser. No. 07/783,789 filed Oct. 29, 1991, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,907 issued Jul. 13, 1993. This inventions relates to processes for removal of the surface layer of human skin and in particular to such processes which utilize lasers.
The present invention provides improved devices for pharmaceutical delivery and fluid removal using laser ablation or alteration. These devices have marking means for marking the ablation or alteration site, the area around the site, or the site and the area around the site. In a preferred embodiment, the mark created by the devices is a physical mark which remains detectable after the marking means is inactivated or redirected away from the site.
The present invention provides a method of delivering substances for permeation through the skin of a subject, by energizing the stratum corneum in conjunction with various delivery means including gels and patches. Permeability enhancement or reduced electrical impedance of the skin, increases the variety of substances capable of permeation, and increases the permeation rate and the effectiveness of the permeation, including permeation enhanced by iontophoresis. The method allows for the use of improved delivery means that were previously unavailable.
A method of hair depilation using an Nd:YAG laser which causes local heating at the hair bulb due to the absorption of the oxyhemoglobin contained in the capillaries. The Nd:YAG laser operates at 1060 nanometers. Each pulse is a special pulse having a first portion and a second portion, where power output in the first portion is 20 times greater than power output in the second portion. That way, the first portion of each pulse is used to quickly heat up the tissue to a damaging temperature, and the second portion maintains that temperature to cause hair removal for the tissue.
The present invention relates to a target material which enables, for example, the blotch to be uniformly and efficiently irradiated with laser light for elimination thereof. In order to modify the living tissue by being irradiated with laser light, the liquid target including laser light absorbing powders having a particle size of not larger than 40 .mu.m, which are dispersed in a dispersing medium is applied on the surface of the living tissue. Then the surface of the tissue on which the target material is applied is irradiated with the laser light. The laser light causes the temperature of the target material to be elevated so that vaporization of the tissue occurs.
Mammalian skin is treated and advantageously smoothed, for example to remove wrinkles, lines, warts and scars therefrom, by topically applying thereto a composition which comprises at least one laser-absorbing chromophore formulated into a physiologically acceptable carrier, diluent or vehicle therefor, and laser-irradiating the skin thus treated with an intensity sufficient to locally convert the light energy into heat energy in the applied composition and advantageously effecting tissue ablation of the surface of the treated skin, said applied composition and the thickness thereof having an absorbance at the emission wavelength of the laser such that the light energy transmitted into the skin generates no undesired irreversible tissue or cell damage.
