A delivery system for applying a formula containing capsaicin together with another ingredient to neutralize the discomfort resulting from the application of capsaicin to the skin which involves the topical application of capsaicin by use of patches, use of second skin, use of sprays and includes a unique method for applying the formulation using laser on the epidermis.

A method and apparatus is disclosed for predicting an effective and safe laser light energy range for sub-epidermal laser surgery. The method is especially useful in controlling beam energy during the treatment of PWS. The method is accomplished by first impinging a measurement laser pulse on a predetermined treatment area, wherein the measurement laser pulse has an energy below a predetermined threshold of coagulation and below a predetermined threshold of skin damage. The thermal emission caused by the measurement laser pulse emanating from the treatment area is then detected and the delay time from the measurement laser pulse to the detection of the thermal emission is measured. The rise rate of the thermal emission is then measured. The layer thickness is then calculated based upon the delay time, wherein the layer thickness is substantially the epidermal thickness. An internal measurement temperature rise is calculated based upon the layer thickness and the rise rate. Finally, the energy of the measurement laser pulse is multiplied by a minimum scaling ratio to obtain a minimum laser treatment energy, wherein the minimum scaling ratio is the known coagulation temperature divided by the internal measurement temperature rise, and the energy of the measurement laser pulse is multiplied by a maximum scaling ratio to obtain a maximum laser treatment energy, wherein the maximum scaling ratio is the known skin damage threshold temperature divided by the measurement temperature rise.

Methods for treating maladies such as cutaneous vascular lesions. A patient in need of vascular lesion treatment is identified. A hyperosmotic agent is administered to a region adjacent the lesion. Blood flow velocity is slowed within the region using the hyperosmotic agent, and the lesion is exposed to laser radiation.

Vascular lesions are treated by using an apparatus which comprises a dye laser, one or more flashlamps, and at least one pulse generating circuit for driving the flashlamps, the pulse generating circuit arranged to produce driving current pulses having a risetime of less than 100 microseconds resulting in corresponding laser output pulses, having a risetime of less than 100 microseconds.

A method for increasing the permeability of the stratum corneum by means of a source of light, preferably a laser, more preferably a pulsed laser. By increasing the permeability of the stratum corneum, access to the interstitial fluid is achieved, thereby enabling measurement of analytes in the interstitial fluid. In one aspect, the method comprises the steps of: (a) providing a source of light having a wavelength of from about 930 nm to about 1040 nm; and (b) exposing a region of the stratum corneum of the patient to said source of light for a period of time sufficient to form an opening in the stratum corneum. Preferably, exposure of the region of the stratum corneum to the source of light is ceased when an amount of interstitial fluid fills the opening in the stratum corneum, which amount is sufficient to cause the scatter intensity of the light reflected from the surface of the interstitial fluid occupying the opening in the stratum corneum to differ from the scatter intensity of the light reflected from a region of the stratum corneum that is substantially free of interstitial fluid. The invention also involves an apparatus for carrying out the foregoing method.