Types of Light Therapy · Single-wavelength light, in clinic
Lasers: precise light, chosen by target.
Lasers use a single wavelength chosen for a target in the skin. Which laser, and what for, matters more than the word “laser”.
In short
01
How they work
An engineering-to-clinical review describes selective photothermolysis: a laser wavelength targets melanin, hemoglobin or water. It lists fractional CO₂ and Er:YAG lasers for scars and rejuvenation, and says settings depend on the skin type and the treatment endpoint.1
02
What they were studied for
Rejuvenation: in 50 patients with Fitzpatrick skin types III to IV, three monthly Q-switched 1064 nm sessions lowered the mean wrinkle score from 4.54 to 3.42. There was no control group, and mild transient redness occurred in four patients.3
Visible vessels: a 2026 review found pulsed dye laser or IPL improved telangiectasias linked to systemic sclerosis or lupus in all 10 studies, although more sessions may be needed.2
Melasma: a review says no treatment is definitive, that combinations with topical or oral agents work better, and that maintenance is crucial.4
Post-acne redness: in 9 randomized trials with 301 participants, picosecond alexandrite laser and narrow-spectrum IPL showed favourable effects, but trials were small and short so no preferred treatment could be named.5
03
Safety
Laser treatment of melasma carries a risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, especially in darker skin.4
What we could not confirm
The gaps, stated plainly.
- Which laser is best for a given wrinkle or pigment goal. We found no head-to-head comparison.
- Long-term results of laser rejuvenation. The Q-switched study we read was retrospective with no control group.
Questions
Common questions.
Are lasers good for melasma?
A review says no melasma treatment is definitive, that combinations work better and maintenance is crucial, and that laser treatment carries a risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, especially in darker skin.4
Can lasers treat visible veins?
A 2026 review found pulsed dye laser or IPL improved telangiectasias linked to systemic sclerosis or lupus in all 10 studies it included, with more sessions possibly needed.2
Keep reading
Back to the full guide: Types of Light Therapy.
More in this guide
- LED and red light: home and clinic panels and masks.
- Intense pulsed light: broad-spectrum flash, in clinic.
- Narrowband UVB: ultraviolet phototherapy, medical.
- Photodynamic therapy: light plus a medicine.
- Cold plasma: ionized gas, emerging.
Related research
From our library
Sources
Where every claim comes from.
Numbers in brackets link to these entries. Journal entries were read as their PubMed record, and study details come from PubMed, the US National Library of Medicine. See every source on the Research Desk, organised by page.
- [1] Lasers in Medical Science (Park and colleagues). Strategic selection of multi-parametric laser settings and clinical endpoints in dermatology: an engineering-to-clinical review.
- [2] Lasers in Surgery and Medicine (Shah and colleagues). Efficacy of lasers and light sources for telangiectasias in the setting of systemic sclerosis and systemic lupus erythematosus: a review.
- [3] Lasers in Medical Science (Zappia and colleagues; retrospective study of 50 patients). Use of a nanosecond Q-switched 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser for photoaging management in Asian skin: a retrospective study.
- [4] Dermatologic Clinics (Campos and colleagues). Lasers for melasma.
- [5] Cureus (Alhussain and colleagues). Post-acne erythema: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials on the comparative efficacy and safety of interventions across clinical, instrumental, and patient-reported outcomes.
This page is general information drawn from published reviews and studies. It is not medical advice and makes no light therapy claim about any Vanu Health product. The image is an AI-generated illustration, not a study image. Last updated October 30, 2026.