New Laser Tested On Dark Skin

MIAMI -- Lasers can help people with light skin clear up a variety of facial flaws, but they have been considered too dangerous for blacks or Hispanics who have darker complexions.

Now a new wave in laser technology is giving people with dark skin something to smile about.

Rey Duclas Jr. is a student studying anatomy, but he's always been bothered by something about his own body.

"I'd get bumps that were painful and sometimes red," he said.

Razor bumps, ingrown hairs, blotchy skin are common problems for blacks and Hispanics -- especially among men.

"It's painful when you're trying to pull them out," Duclas said. "It's also painful when you're shaving, and just them being there is painful. They're stuck in your skin."

Lasers have worked wonders for clearing up problems on light skin. They are more risky on dark skin because they can't differentiate between the skin tone and the hair.

"The older lasers which were very selective for that dark pigment would also have a chance of hurting the skin or burning the skin and having side effects in the surrounding skin around the hair you were treating," said Dr. Heather Woolery-Lloyd, a dermatologist at the University of Miami Cosmetic Center.

Woolery-Lloyd is treating Duclas with the new Altus laser. It has a longer wavelength so it burns away the unwanted hair, but not the skin.

"It's able to pick up the contrast between the hair and the skin so it only treats the dark hair and doesn't affect the surrounding skin," she said.

Duclas said he noticed a change after just one treatment.

"There wasn't much hair growing out of my face where I was treated and because of that I didn't have to shave as often," he said.

After several treatments, he has a better complexion and more confidence.

The new laser also works on underarm hair and broken blood vessels on the face and legs. Each laser treatment costs about $300 and, after several treatments, the results are usually permanent.

If you would like more information, please contact:

Conchita Bestard
University of Miami Cosmetic Center
1295 NW 14th St., Suite K
Miami, FL 33125
(305) 324-7546
cbestard@derm.net
http://www.derm.net

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