Skin enhancement using laser light

Abstract

Methods of applying laser light to the skin, and apparatus therefor, include methods for removing hair, for bleaching hair, for transdermal drug delivery, for sensing a body function, for skin tightening, and for imaging subsurface structures are described. The hair removal methods and the hair bleaching methods include infiltrating a transparent fluid with an index of refraction greater than that of skin tissue into hair ducts to help transmit the laser light down the hair ducts. The transdermal drug delivery and body function sensing methods include exfoliating layers of the stratum corneum from a section of skin with laser light. A transdermal drug delivery patch can be placed over the exfoliated skin section, or an electrical sensor can be placed over the exfoliated skin section. The skin tightening method includes implanting a light absorbing material in the dermis of a section of skin and illuminating the skin section to disturb the dermis in such a way as to cause a healing reaction that forms more collagen fibers. The imaging system includes a confocal microscope that has been adapted to view only a time-gated portion of laser light reflected from the skin.