Opening sessions at ASDS focus on laser recovery time

ATLANTA — Laser treatments that shorten recovery time were the theme of several presentations on the opening day of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery’s annual meeting.

Nonablative fractional resurfacing laser treatment has become popular because “patients don’t want to deal with much recovery time,” Elizabeth Tanzi, MD, of the Washington Institute of Dermatologic Laser Surgery in Washington, DC, said during her presentation.

If dermatologists could only purchase two lasers, Tanzi would recommend the Fraxel Dual 1550/1927 nm (Solta Medical; Hayward, Calif.) and the Cynergy 595/1064 nm (Cynosure; Westford, Mass.). But, she added, if a practice could only have one machine, “buy a nonablative device” because of patients’ desire for shorter recovery periods.

Nonablative treatment is also effective in treating hypopigmentation after tattoo removal treatments, Tanzi said.

Finding a way to expedite tattoo removal treatments when using a Q-switched laser was part of the presentation by Roy G. Geronemus, MD, director of the Laser & Skin Surgery Center of New York. Geronemus said a Q-switched laser removal session normally takes four applications at 20-minute intervals to allow white gas bubbles to dissolve. He has found, however, that the addition of a topical fluorocarbon treatment hastens that process.

“Perfluorodecalin dissolves the gas bubbles that develop after Q-switched treatment,” Geronemus told Healio.com. “It allows you to retreat multiple times without waiting for that period of time.” As a result, procedures that normally take 80 minutes can be completed in about 3 minutes, he said.

Tattoo removal is “is becoming more popular,” Geronemus said, but there is “frustration in the speed in which we can remove them.”