Lasers for the Treatment of Pigmentary Disorders

Pigmentary disorders of the skin are a heterogenous complex set of skin diseases that share a common pathology of increased melanin deposition. While most of these disorders can be treated with topical agents and surgery, lasers and energy-based devices (EBDs) have emerged as a preferred treatment modality. Lasers have become the gold standard in treating nevus of Ota and acquired nevus of Ota-like macules (ABNOMs) or Hori nevus. Lasers that are pigment specific primarily work by targeting the chromophore melanin contained in the melanosomes. Since these structures are small and have very short thermal relaxation times, lasers with pulse durations in the nanosecond and picosecond range are ideal for minimally invasive pigment removal.