Lumenis – Energy to Healthcare

In this today’s Clinical Roundtable we review the prominent Aesthetic laser company, Lumenis. Founded in 1973, in Israel, Lumenis manufactures medical devices that focus on the use of energy to achieve various medical and aesthetic goals, and they have been a very significant part of the history of cosmetic lasers. The company’s products are usually sold to hospitals and physician offices and have been used in a wide array of applications. For example, the Lumenis LightSheer line is used for hair removal and the Aluma line uses radio frequency energy to get rid of wrinkles and fine lines. Other Lumenis products are designed address varicose veins, skin pigmentation, get rid of tattoos, and diminish the appearance of Rosacea and acne scars. To understand how these devices have benefited patients, we will look at the product array that the company offers.

Lumenis LightSheer

The company manufactures several devices to manage hair growth. The Lumenis LightSheer product line contains hair removal devices that use light energy as a permanent hair removal tool. These utilise laser technology to send pulses of energy directly into the follicle, which damages the follicle and stunts future hair growth.

To minimise the amount of energy being absorbed into the skin, the Lumenis LightSheer devices use a suction technique. Here the skin is suctioned into the device head, causing the skin to expand, constricting blood vessels near the surface layers, and in this way decreasing the obstacles between the laser and the hair follicle. This decreases the amount of energy needed to achieve the result, thus mitigating possible skin damage. The company also claims that because of this technique, local anesthetic is virtually unnecessary.

Further, the Lumenis LightSheer Duet model has several tool sizes, to give the physician more treatment options for various areas on the body. For example, the larger tool can be used for areas such as the legs, arms and abdomen, while the smaller tool is more appropriate for the delicate skin on the face.

Lumenis Aluma Line

The company’s Aluma line fits into the category of non-surgical skin tightening. The devices in this Lumenis line send radio frequency energy into the skin, which heats up the dermis layer in order to stimulate collagen production. Collagen is an essential protein that is responsible for skin elasticity and by heating up the collagen fibers, the Aluma devices stimulate the natural rejuvenation of the fibers. However, it’s important to note that effects from these treatments may take a while to become visible, as this Lumenis line aims to stimulate the body’s natural processes, rather than to show immediate effects the way a dermal filler would.

AcuPulse

The Lumenis AcuPulse line includes a variety of CO2 laser devices which use short bursts of light to address skin conditions like wrinkles, skin discoloration, and can help get rid of acne scars. The laser does so by destroying damaged layers of skin, and stimulating the growth of new, healthy skin cells. As with any laser skin resurfacing technology, physicians may likely need to administer an anesthetic due to the burning sensation and the associated pain. Permanent skin damage is also possible if used incorrectly, although Lumenis suggests that its laser products use specialised energy burst sequences to minimize the possibility of damage and reduce recovery times.

Lumenis UltraPulse Fractional Laser

The company’s UltraPulse system is another example of a CO2 laser, except this Lumenis product is meant for more serious laser procedures. The company claims that this machine is up to six times stronger than most CO2 lasers and produces pulsations that can penetrate deeper into the skin. UltraPulse also has a variety of settings that can help the physician tailor the strength of treatment based on the patient’s aesthetic goals and needs. Further, Lumenis suggests that because of the power available in UltraPulse, the treatment times can be significantly reduced, as skin areas only need to be treated once.