In Singapore where we have a diverse ethnic population, it is important for a medical practice to be equipped with suitable equipment. There are indeed many good lasers out there, some from the big brands in the US and Europe. But caveat emptor applies where a population is mainly Caucasian and clinic trial subjects are mostly Caucasian, which raises the question about extrapolating results and side effects on patients who are NOT Caucasians.
Don’t discount lasers with origins or parts from Japan or Korea. In fact, with the current situation in the world, the public is now aware that many big brands in the West depend on complicated components made on our side of the planet.
With an increase in the number and density of melanin in Asian skin, it is important to avoid short-wavelength lasers and I must qualify that this is generally speaking. For general laser toning and ‘whitening’, I would use wavelengths towards the IR side of the electromagnetic spectrum, at about 1064nm. Nanosecond and picosecond pulse width in my experience makes little difference although I use both depending on the patient’s requirements.
One important factor to note when patients complain about poor skin colour and tone is the redness component in their skin. Many patients don’t realise that besides pigmentation (brown) they also suffer from underlying redness with open spider veins (blood vessels) that they cannot visualize normally.
This is until I put them under a VISIA computer skin analysis. They are always surprised that they were never analysed this way before previous treatment. A more holistic approach will be to reduce the underlying redness and flushing with a FOTONA laser or a Pro Yellow Laser first before dealing with the pigmentation or brightening using a Pico Laser or traditional nanosecond laser.
Lasering requires a good understanding of a patient’s condition before starting the patient on a treatment plan. Be prepared to be dynamic and fine-tune the treatment plan as you progress. A good discussion with your doctor is always important.
