Laser treatment of benign melanocytic lesion: a review

Lasers Med Sci. 2022 Dec;37(9):3353-3362. doi: 10.1007/s10103-022-03642-9. Epub 2022 Sep 12.

Abstract

Treatment of pigmented lesions is one of the major challenges of laser and cosmetic practitioners. The most common pigmented lesions that are treated by lasers are melanocytic nevi, ephelides, solar lentigines, and café au lait macules. Melanin absorbs different wavelengths (500-1100 nm); thereby, treatment of various pigmented lesions requires the application of lasers with different wavelengths. Choosing the most appropriate type of laser depends on various factors such as the chromophore and the location of a specific lesion in the skin. In this paper, we aim to review the most efficient laser treatment protocols for each pigmented skin lesion and compare their efficacy in each part based on the previous studies.

Keywords: Ephelides; Laser; Melanocytic nevi; Pigmented lesion; Solar lentigines.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Laser Therapy* / methods
  • Lasers
  • Lentigo*
  • Nevus, Pigmented* / pathology
  • Nevus, Pigmented* / radiotherapy
  • Nevus, Pigmented* / surgery
  • Skin Neoplasms* / pathology
  • Skin Neoplasms* / radiotherapy
  • Skin Neoplasms* / surgery