Laser indications – what lasers are used for
What laser and light treatments are suitable for: medical dermatological indications such as actinic keratoses, vascular birthmarks and nail fungus, plus the aesthetic applications.
Overview
Laser and light treatments are used in dermatology for numerous changes of the skin and nails. As there is no universal laser, we assign the suitable system to each indication.
The overview below separates medical dermatological indications from aesthetic applications. There are separate pages on the individual medical topics; the aesthetic laser applications are described in detail in our aesthetics section.
Topics in this section
Acne scarsAcne scars that remain can be treated with laser and radiofrequency methods. The precondition is that the acne itself is no longer active.Learn more →Actinic keratosesActinic keratoses are sun-induced skin changes and an early form of non-melanoma skin cancer. They can be treated with photodynamic therapy (PDT), among other methods.Learn more →Age spots (sun spots)Age and sun spots on the face and hands can be treated with the Q-switched ruby laser. Because not every brown spot is harmless, we first look at each one with the dermatoscope.Learn more →Age warts (seborrhoeic keratoses)Age warts are benign, brownish, often greasy-looking nodules that increase in number with age. Once it is clear that they really are age warts, we ablate them with the Erbium:YAG laser.Learn more →Spider veinsWe treat spider veins and the deeper-lying reticular veins with vascular lasers, usually with the long-pulse Nd:YAG laser. Compression stockings are not needed after laser treatment.Learn more →Couperose & rosaceaDilated small vessels and persistent facial redness in couperose and rosacea can be treated with vascular lasers and light systems. Which system fits depends on the findings.Learn more →Wrinkles & skin tighteningWe treat wrinkles and loss of skin firmness with the fractional CO₂ laser, radiofrequency microneedling and the Erbium:YAG laser. Which method fits depends on the findings and on the healing time you can plan for.Learn more →Fat reductionWe treat fat deposits on the chin, hips, abdomen, thighs and knees without surgery and without a laser: with cryolipolysis or injection lipolysis. None of these methods is a way to lose weight.Learn more →Port-wine stains & haemangiomasWe treat congenital and acquired vascular changes such as port-wine stains (naevus flammeus), haemangiomas and spider naevi with the dye laser and other vascular lasers.Learn more →Fat deposits (xanthelasma)Xanthelasmata are whitish-yellow fat deposits on the eyelids. In about 30 per cent of those affected a lipid metabolism disorder lies behind them, which is why the blood lipid values should be checked before any removal.Learn more →Permanent hair removalUnwanted hair on the face, in the armpits, in the bikini zone, on the back and on the legs can be permanently reduced with laser light. How well the treatment responds depends above all on the hair colour.Learn more →Hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating)With increased sweating in the armpits, the sweat glands can be reduced with fractional radiofrequency microneedling. Treatment with botulinum toxin is available as an alternative.Learn more →PsoriasisIndividual psoriasis plaques can be treated with the excimer laser: monochromatic UV light at a wavelength of 308 nm that reaches only the affected skin.Learn more →Stretch marks (striae)Stretch marks are usually a flat form of scarring. The colour of the marks decides the order of treatment: reddened marks first with the dye laser, faded ones with the fractional CO₂ laser or radiofrequency microneedling.Learn more →Further laser indicationsThe laser indications listed are the most important fields of application. The laser systems available are also suitable for other dermatological diseases, as far as these can be treated with lasers.Learn more →Laser tattoo removalTattoos and permanent make-up can in many cases be lightened considerably or largely removed with ultra-short-pulsed lasers. Which wavelength is used depends on the colour of the pigments.Learn more →Vitiligo (white spot disease)Vitiligo means a circumscribed loss of skin pigmentation. We treat affected areas with targeted irradiation, among other things with the excimer laser.Learn more →
Risks & notes
- Every laser treatment carries risks that depend on the method and the indication. We describe them on the respective topic pages and explain them to you in person before each treatment.
Medical dermatological indications
- Actinic keratoses and superficial non-melanoma skin cancer (including photodynamic therapy)
- Couperose and rosacea (vascular component)
- Port-wine stains, haemangiomas and other vascular changes
- Vitiligo (white spot disease) and psoriasis (excimer laser)
- Nail fungus (onychomycosis)
- Warts, including persistent forms
Aesthetic indications (described in the aesthetics section)
- Acne scars as well as surgical and burn scars
- Age spots and seborrhoeic keratoses
- Spider veins
- Wrinkles and skin tightening
- Permanent hair removal
- Tattoo and permanent make-up removal
Frequently asked questions
- Is there one laser for everything?
- No. Different skin changes need different wavelengths. That is why we keep several systems available and choose the appropriate one for each indication.
- Are laser treatments covered by statutory health insurance?
- That depends on the indication. Certain medically necessary treatments can be covered by health insurance, aesthetic applications are as a rule self-pay services. We clarify the specific framework with you beforehand.