Introduction: Improvement Without "Downtime"
Usually the redness, weeping and peeling of a standard laser procedure is more than enough to make anyone rethink a procedure. Thousands of patients safely undergo CO2 laser treatments every year - if you had a choice to have no "downtime", weeping or peeling, would you take it?
What Is NLite® & How Does It Work?
 ICN Pharmaceuticals' NLite® is a class IV medical, non-ablative HeNe, flashlamp pumped, pulsed-dye LASER, specifically designed for non-ablative removal of rhytids, or static wrinkles, and collagen rejuvenation - not filling out excess skin. Ablative lasers are more damaging and invasive - they remove layers of your skin in order to "resurface" it - actually removing the wrinkle along with it's surrounding skin. Whereas, the yellow light of NLite® passes right through the skin without damaging, thereby stimulating your own dermis to produce its own natural collagen.
The NLite® machine was patented in 1996 after more than 5 years of research by Professor Marc Clement et. al. Much excitement is felt with the production and FDA approval on Sept. 6, 2000 of the NLite® Laser as wrinkles are diminished, or "removed" entirely, not by invasive, actual removal of your skin, but rather with your own collagen production from the inside out!
Pulse Characteristics
Pulse Duration: 350 ms
Spot Size: 5 mm
Repetition Rate: 2 hz
Beam Delivery: Lens-Coupled Optical Fiber w/ Hand piece
Aiming Beam
Laser Type: HeNe Laser (pulse dye)
Wavelength: 543.5 Cooled
Laser Cooling Method: Air Cooled
Size: 38"x24.8"x46.5"
Electrical Requirements: 220-240 VAC, 12A 50/60 hz, Single Phase
It is reported in the majority of patients that your body's fibroblast stimulation lasts for approximately one month. This means that your body will continue to produce collagen for 30 days in which you should begin seeing the results in about 4 weeks. Of course your body does not continue growing collagen indefinitely; the new collagen is then treated as existing collagen and is subject to the same aging qualities as the rest of your body.
Are You a Candidate for NLite®?
If you have wrinkles that you are just not thrilled with, including crow's feet, or glabella (frown) lines, you may be a candidate for NLite® if you do not match the following list (below). Even though there is no actual burning, removal, or excision, care would be taken regardless of your ethnic background. Just to be on the safe side I suggest a spot test before undergoing complete full facial or even partial treatment, just to be sure that you will not develop hyper or hypo-pigmentations, keloids or other lesions.
But on the lighter side, NLite® is considered gentle and for most persons a spot test is usually unnecessary. Please discuss this with your surgeon or dermatologist at your consultation to determine if he or she finds its necessary.
*Also, you should NOT have a NLite® treatment on the affected area if you have the following:
- Undiagnosed lesions
- Recent herpes outbreaks
- Warts
- Active, weeping acne (stages 3-4)
- Active Rosacea
- Unstable diabetes
- Auto-immune system disorders
Also, static wrinkles (wrinkles created by facial movements such as smiling) are what can be treated successfully in most patients. Not building up or filling out excess skin, such as the upper eyelid crease. Blepharoplasty can correct that - my friend/NLite® technician pointed out that people don't go around getting "fillers" for their eyelids. The excess skin must be removed. The NLite® is for rebuilding collagen in the fissures created from frowning, squinting, smiling, etc., although other treatments such as Intense Pulsed Light Therapy can tighten the epidermis somewhat.
Does NLite® Hurt?
NLite® has not been reported to actually cause "pain" - rather a warm sensation with an occasional sting or "pin-prick". If you are more sensitive than most perhaps you could inquire about Liquidcaine liquid topical anesthesia. This is an odorless, non-stinging liquid used during a procedure. It "numbs" the area within 90 seconds of application. It can be used for sunburn, laser surgery and micropigmentation as well. Although this is really unnecessary, it is an option.
What to Expect at Your Consultation
Your skin tech will examine your skin and determine if you are indeed a candidate before moving any further. You will have what can and cannot improved explained to you and perhaps receive a spot test - although this is usually unnecessary due to NLite's non-ablative nature.
How This Procedure Is Performed
A session can last from 15 minutes to an hour depending upon the area requiring treatment. Laser light is very harmful to the eyes so your doctor will provide you with special protective eye wear. Some look like goggles, others like the little tanning bed "glasses" and still others look like modified metal spoons. Do NOT remove the protective eyewear until you are told it is safe to do so. Removal of the eyewear or sneaking a quick peek at the laser light can severely damage your eyes.
The wand is placed over the area to be treated and the yellow laser light is delivered along the full length of the rhytids (wrinkles) or fissure (crack in the dermis and fatty layer, usually a stretch mark or extreme dynamic wrinkle). And that is it - your own body does the rest. You can reapply your make-up and go back to work, if need be. There may be edema (swelling), but it is reported as rare. If you do notice swelling, gentle icing will alleviate this and any possible post-op discomfort. You may also notice bruising if the technician has turned up the machine.
The Road to Recovery
Since the NLite® laser is considered very mild and low energy - there should be no abrupt redness, bruising, blistering or peeling. You may be a little pink or swollen but mild icing can remedy this. Laboratory-based studies in the past 5 years, have concluded that within 72 hours after your first session, the treatment areas' collagen synthesis actually doubles! "The study reported that application of the laser parameters described enhances collagen production by an average of 84%, measured 72 hours after a single laser treatment." (Summary by Patrick K. Lee, M.D.) Although this may not be the case for every patient - it is shown in 90% of cases. Your very own collagen continues to restore itself
to its natural state and youthful vigor for several months. This translates into a gradual improvement of fissures and rhytids in the following months, peaking at 4 months post-operative.
Typically, the results are seen at 4 weeks and are optimum at 3-4 months. It was initially reported that additional sessions may be obtained at 2 months following the first session to increase the improvement or thereafter to maintain the improvement. But now due to tests and findings in the U. K., physicians in the U.S. are leaning towards treatments at 2 week intervals. After speaking with Mark Taylor, executive vice president of ICN, he advised that studies in the UK did, indeed, show that repeat sessions at 2 weeks post showed great improvement within the patient.
It must be mentioned that the thin-skinned areas like the eyelids (although not the skin that lies directly over the eyeball) and backs of the hands may need more than one treatment and remember it is quite possible that if your skin is very thin, there may not be any improvement whatsoever.
How Long Does The Improvement Last?
The collagen created from the thermal wound response is not a "super-collagen", if you will. It is to be considered of the same cloth as any other collagen in your body and will be subject to aging and photo damage just as if it were never treated, although this new collagen will have a head start over the untreated areas. To increase its longevity you should cover up when going into the sun to prevent sun damage as well as wear a quality pair of sunglasses (I recommend Revo?) to block UV and decrease glare so you don't squint thereby decreasing your chances of getting static wrinkles before your time. As well as decreasing the reoccurrence of static wrinkles.
Risks & Complications of NLite®
Although no risks or complications are reported, care should be taken to advise your doctor of any sensitivity to heat or burns as well as ethnicity in your family (Italian, Greek, African- American, etc.) There is always the possibility that you may develop temporary or even permanent hyperpigmentation as well as the occasional, slight blister. Also the possibility of eye damage resulting from laser exposure to the eye itself.
Remember that if the NLite® tech or physician turns up the laser too much you can get purpura*, bruising and edema from the trauma - The goal of the procedure is to produce a thermal wound response, not harm your epidermis as well.
* any of several hemorrhagic states characterized by patches of purplish discoloration resulting from extravagation of blood into the skin and mucous membranes.
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