Immediate skin responses to laser and light treatments: Warning endpoints: How to avoid side effects

J Am Acad Dermatol. 2016 May;74(5):807-19; quiz 819-20. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2015.06.025.

Abstract

Lasers are versatile, commonly used treatment tools in dermatology. While it is tempting to follow manufacturer's guidelines or other "recipes" for laser treatment, this approach alone can be a recipe for disaster. Specific and immediate skin responses or endpoints exist and are clinically useful because they correlate with underlying mechanisms that are either desirable (ie, therapeutic), undesirable (ie, warning signs of injury or side effects), or incidental. The observation of clinical endpoints is a safe and reliable guide for appropriate treatment. This article presents the warning endpoints during specific dermatologic laser treatments, and the accompanying article presents the therapeutic endpoints, their underlying mechanisms, and the utility of these endpoints.

Keywords: adverse effects; endpoint; laser; light; skin; warning.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Education, Medical, Continuing
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Low-Level Light Therapy / adverse effects*
  • Low-Level Light Therapy / methods
  • Male
  • Patient Safety / statistics & numerical data
  • Phototherapy / adverse effects*
  • Phototherapy / methods
  • Primary Prevention / methods*
  • Prognosis
  • Risk Assessment
  • Skin Diseases / etiology*
  • Skin Diseases / prevention & control
  • Treatment Outcome