Pulsed Dye 585nm Lasers (PDL)

Pulsed Dye 585nm Lasers (PDL) get their name from the use of a liquid dye as the lasing media. They are designed to deliver short bursts of light that last only a fraction of a second and they effectively remove birthmarks and other red blemishes on the skin. Low power PDLs may also be used to improve the appearance of wrinkles and acne scarring by stimulating regrowth of collagen within the skin.

The PDL also targets acne bacteria by activating porphyrins within the bacteria themselves.

 The PDL targets haemoglobin within the red blood cells. It can be used for two different types of treatment: ablative and non-ablative. Ablative treatments (meaning the removal by vaporization at very high temperature) utilize longer laser pulses and/or high light intensity to thermally damage or destroy the target tissue.

The more common application of PDL is for non-ablative treatments. These treatments stimulate tissue growth to improve skin tone and correct small wrinkles. PDL may also be used to improve the appearance of acne scars by killing the bacteria which cause the condition. It also improves acne by causing selective damage to the sebaceous gland, thus reducing sebum production.