Aging Facial Skin: Infrared Broad Band Light Technologies

The application of infrared broadband light is the more recent addition of nonsurgical laser and light-based treatment for skin laxity and rhytids. Infrared broadband light, when used with the mobile technique, offers a painless, safe, nonsurgical alternative treatment option for treatment of skin laxity on the face and neck. Multiple clinical studies have demonstrated improvements in skin laxity correlated histologically with neocollagenesis and neoelastogenesis over a 6–12 month period. The consistency of clinical improvement in skin laxity supports the use of this approach for moderate skin laxity.

The application of infrared broadband light to the treatment of facial and neck skin laxity has contributed greatly to the laser, light-based, and energy-based technologies designed to deliver volumetric heating in the treatment of skin laxity. When applied and used properly, infrared broadband (1100 to 1800 nm) light yields consistent and reproducible improvements in skin laxity to the face and neck without recovery time, side effects, or significant complications.

Notes to early users: Infrared Broadband Light Tips and Techniques

Patient Consult
Early users are advised to start with careful patient selection. Patients with a baseline skin laxity of 2 to 3 on the 4-point quantitative laxity grading scale ( Table 1 ) are optimal candidates; patients with severe skin laxity of grade 4 should expect the necessity for more treatment sessions to obtain appreciable improvement. Patients older than 65 are less responsive because of age-related changes in connective tissue.
The consultation should entail the presentation of all treatment options, including the surgical facelift.
The rare risk of a burn and the ensuing rare potential for a scar should be discussed during the informed consent process. The device is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for deep dermal heating and the application for the treatment of rhytids and skin laxity are off-label.
It is imperative to take baseline digital photographs of all patients so as to track progress with each treatment. Patients should be advised that results will start to become evident 2 weeks following the first treatment and that 2 to 3 monthly treatment sessions are required for significant improvement for patients with baseline laxity grade of 2 to 3 and 5 to 6 treatments for baseline laxity grade 3.5 to 4.0.