"The cost, $150, gave her only slight pause. If the device worked, it would save her the time and money she spent on acne treatments and dermatologist visits for herself and her daughter."

""I have very dry skin, so I have to be careful about using acne remedies with benzoyl peroxide," says the 53-year-old Memphis woman."

"With the evolution of laser technology, do-it-yourself personal care has entered a new realm. Consumers can now calm acne flareups, plump facial wrinkles and restore thinning hair with a variety of hand-held devices. Other products in development could treat superficial wounds, relieve pain and remove body hair."

""This field will grow because we have discovered how to channel the power of light and cause reactions in the skin and hair," says John Carullo, director of marketing for Sunetics, manufacturer of a hair-regrowth device. Home hair and skin appliances using lasers or, in some cases, heat, can spare consumers from tiresome trips to the doctor's office and may be less costly, over time, than monthly in-office facials and hair treatments. But they won't work the same kind of magic that can be conjured up with more high-powered tools. And some may even be a waste of money."

""It's a matter of degree," says Dr. Harold Brody, a clinical professor of dermatology at Emory University in Atlanta. "If people are trying to treat mild conditions, it may help. But if it's something severe, they will need the help of a dermatologist.""

"The popularity of in-home treatments mirrors the use of medical devices by physicians, says Dr. Wendy Roberts, a dermatologist and assistant professor of medicine at Loma Linda University Medical Center in California. "I think eventually these could be effective for home use," she said. "But right now, there are questions about the efficacy of some of these systems. There's a lot of hype.""

"Lasers release a special form of light in a single wavelength; by contrast, normal daylight consists of varying wavelengths. Hot lasers, the kind used by health professionals in the treatment of skin resurfacing and tattoo removal, are high-energy devices that cause heat damage to the skin, triggering a healing response."

"Cool lasers are sometimes called low-level lasers or low-level light therapy. This type of laser doesn't damage tissue and is safe to use at home. It works by passing a beam of light through the skin to reach cells below the skin's surface and stimulate the body's natural healing processes. Energy produced by cool lasers appears to prompt the production of collagen and ATP (the energy source needed for cellular functions), promote blood circulation and boost the release of growth factors and the removal of waste products from cells."

""I sincerely doubt any of these things are so aggressive that they would produce side effects," says Brody. "But the effectiveness is going to be mild, too.""

"Consumers may think that Food and Drug Administration clearance means the devices work similarly to those used by doctors. But FDA clearance of this type means only that the manufacturer has submitted data showing effectiveness for the device's intended purpose. Usually this means the device is based on similar,
... read the whole article