• acne
• acne scarring
• birthmarks - brown
• birthmarks - port wine stains (red)
• facial volume loss
• fat deposit reduction
• gynaecomastia / man boobs
• hand rejuvenation
• injectable lip enhancement
• keloid / hypertrophic scarring
• laser hair removal
• laser tattoo removal
• leg veins / spider veins
• neck rejuvenation
• non surgical facial shaping
• rosacea and facial capillaries/redness
• skin analysis
• skin pigmentation
• sweating - excessive
• wrinkles

• anaesthesia/analgesia for procedures
• anti-wrinkle injections
• chemical peels
• dermal fillers
• laser - apogee
• laser - gemini
• laser - medlite
• laser - ruby
• lipodissolve
• make-up - dermacolour
• make-up - glo minerals
• microdermabrasion
• photodynamic therapy
• plasma skin regeneration
• retinoids - topical
• sclerotherapy
• skin care - asap
• skin care - cosmedix
• skin care - rationale
• skin needling

Medlite Laser

What is laser?

Laser stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Laser light is composed of particles of called photons and have the same colour and phase. Medical lasers use this property to interact with skin or human tissue.

What are the effects of medical lasers on skin?

There are a large variety of medical lasers, each having a different effect on skin. Each type of laser is attracted selectively to a particular colour-bearing substance on the skin whether it is a capillary, pigmentation, or tattoo ink. A particular laser can therefore target a particular problem on the skin, depending on the colour it is attracted to. Each type of laser wavelength will also penetrate a different depth in the skin.

What is the Medlite q-switched laser?

There are a number of medical lasers, each designed to target different problems. This page will discuss the Medlite q-switched laser, which has two frequencies for the treatment of skin conditions, namely, 532 nanometres (KTP), and 1064 nanometres (Nd:YAG).

The main feature of this laser is that it has extremely short pulses of high power that can be shorter than 20 nanoseconds (one nanosecond equals one billionth of a second). This allows this laser to have a ëphoto-mechanicalí effect on skin pigmentation and tattoo inks or pigments, literally shattering these small particles. The remnants are then removed by the bodyís immune system.

The laser light emitted also operates by the principle of ëselective photothermolysisí, which is the attraction of particular wavelengths of the laser to be attracted to certain colours, allowing for the specific heating and targeting of a coloured target. For example, the 532nm wavelength is highly attracted red tattoo inks. Therefore, by using the 532nm wavelength, red tattoo ink can be specifically targeted over normal skin and other colours in the skin. This helps reduce the impact of the laser on normal skin, instead letting it focus on a particular problem.

Generally several treatments are required for tattoo removal. Multi-coloured and professional tattoos are generally harder to remove than single coloured or amateur tattoos and require more treatments. 100% removal of the tattoo pigment is not always possible.

Click here for more information on laser tattoo removal

Deep and superficial skin pigmentation - q-switched lasers are the treatment of choice for pigmentation problems of the skin. They are in most cases superior than other long pulsed lasers, and IPL systems. Again it is the extremely short pulse duration of q-switched lasers that allows them to shatter pigment particles very effectively. The depth of the pigmentation will determine the laser wavelength used. For more superficial pigmentation problems such as sunspots, solar lentigos, cafÈ-au-lait spots, freckles may require the 532nm q-switched KTP. Deeper pigmentation problems such as Naevus of Ota, melasma/chloasma, and Horiís Naevus may require the 1064nm q-switched Nd:YAG.

Post-sclerotherapy pigmentation - This is a particular kind of pigmentation that arises from sclerotherapy, or injections for leg veins. Haemosiderin, a constituent of blood, remains in the skin and causes a bruised like appearance on the skin. The pigmentation has an absorption peak of 410-415nm that tapers down through the remainder of the visible spectrum and can be improved significantly with the q-switched lasers.

Non-ablative wrinkle and scar regeneration - The q-switched Nd:YAG at 1064nm has a deep penetration into the skin and causes deep dermal heating. This leads to the formation of new collagen and elastin. Several sessions are required to maximise the effect. In studies of this treatment, 3D surface topography of skin showed an improvement in skin texture, wrinkles, and acne scarring. Minimal downtime is required for this treatment. The 532nm frequency has also been shown to improve keloid or hypertrophic (thick, raised, purple/red) scars by lightening their colour and decreasing their size.

Hair removal - although this laser is not proven to cause permanent hair reduction, it can retard hair growth. It can work on finer hairs that other laser hair removal systems may not work on. It does not work on grey hairs.

Vascular lesions - The 532nm q-switched KTP can treat broken capillaries and blood vessels but the Gemini laser is more suited for this.

What will my skin look like after treatment?

Topical anaesthesia can be used to numb the area prior to laser treatments. Especially when higher energies are used, such as with tattoo removal, topical anaesthesia is necessary. Without this anaesthesia, laser tattoo removal is said by some to be more painful than the initial tattoo application itself. If appropriate, an injection can be given to numb the area for treatment.

For lower energy treatments, anaesthesia may not be required.

What are the possible adverse outcomes of treatment?

How much does q-switched laser treatment cost?

Why should I choose The Victorian Cosmetic Institute as my provider of Medlite q-switched laser treatments?

At The Victorian Cosmetic Institute, we use the latest laser technology to perform your treatment. The Medlite Laser is an extremely safe and effective laser for the removal of pigmentation, and tattoos.

Our doctors are also highly experienced in laser treatments, and will be able to give you the best advice for your treatment.

The first step is simply contacting us for your initial laser skin rejuvenation consultation, where we will discuss with you what is a realistic and achievable outcome, and what to expect from your laser treatment.

Making that first phone call about any cosmetic procedure can be a confronting task - many of our patients have preferred filling out our online enquiry form. We can then contact you with an understanding of the results you are hopeful of achieving and ensure the treatment is appropriate.