Alma Laser System

The modern era of precision laser surgery began in 1983 when Anderson and Parrish published their theory of Selective Photothermolysis (SP). By applying the principle of SP, laser surgeons could now selectively target light-absorbing molecules (chromophores) in the skin by using specific wavelengths of pulsed radiation. Armed with this powerful breakthrough, scientists joined forces with a growing laser industry to develop pulsed lasers capable of selectively targeting the three major chromophores in the skin: water, hemoglobin, and melanin. Hundreds of lasers were designed to treat a broad range of skin conditions and over the next two decades, refinements in laser technology improved laser safety while making laser treatments available to more patients. The widespread use of epidermal cooling gave birth to the concept of nonablative dermal remodeling, in which hemoglobin, or water-targeting lasers, create thermal damage confined to the dermis, initiating dermal collagen remodeling without sacrificing the integrity of the overlying epidermis.

In the 1990s, nonablative dermal remodeling was introduced as a “no-downtime” alternative to traditional ablative-pulsed lasers such as the carbon dioxide (CO2, 10,600 nm) and erbium: yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Er: YAG, 2,940 nm). Fractional laser resurfacing first became commercially available in 2003 when Reliant Technologies introduced its Fraxel SR device to fill the gap between ablative and nonablative devices. In contrast to ablative lasers, fractional lasers coagulate only 20% of the treated skin, sparing viable epidermis and untreated dermis that maintain the skin’s barrier function while speeding re-epithelialization. The Fraxel SR targets water as a chromophore but in contrast to traditional ablative devices, uses an objective lens and adjustable beam to focus the laser beam within the dermis.