Skin photo rejuvenation with the sharplight formax100 system
Skin Photo Rejuvenation with the SharpLight Formax100 System B. Czajkowsky, M.D.1, V. Kipnis, M.D.2 1SharpLight Medical Advisor, 2AML Clinics, Israel ABSTRACT Pulsed light technology improves the texture and appearance of skin affected by age, sun exposure and environmental pollution. The recent rapid growth in non-ablative, aesthetic, light-based treatments has led to an increased demand for devices that treat a range of skin conditions, such as pigmented lesions, vascular lesions and textural imperfections. Non-ablative pulsed light treatments are effective for all age groups and all skin types. This paper documents our preliminary experience in performing skin photo rejuvenation on 30 patients with the SharpLight Formax100, equipped with 535 nm and 580 nm handpieces. ____________________________________________________________________________________ INTRODUCTION
The new Formax100 intense pulsed light (IPL)
Non-ablative skin rejuvenation has become
popular with patients seeking no-downtime
advances: Dynamic Pulse Control and Skin
The theoretical basis of skin photo rejuvenation
Dynamic Pulse Control (DPC) was developed to
lies in the theory of selective photothermolysis
allow the practitioner to optimize the light pulse
configuration for each particular clinical
neocollagenesis which occurs in response to a
situation, based on individual patient skin
mild thermal injury in the reticular and papillary
characteristics and specific dermatological
The Formax SR 580 nm handpiece is designed
maximize clinical effect while minimizing
for the treatment of skin textural damage: fine
lines and medium wrinkles, open pores and dull
Three different pulse configurations are offered
by the DPC: Smooth pulse, Long pulse and
The Formax VL&PL 535 nm handpiece is
designed for superficial pigmented and/or
– Smooth pulse: delivers a square pulse (single
vascular lesions and can be combined with the
continuous peak) with a slow tissue heating
effect. Indicated for skin textural damage on all
– Pigmented skin damage such as solar lentigo
– Long pulse: delivers a train of pulses at
medium height peak and 50% duty cycle (50%
– Vascular skin damage such as telangiectasia,
on, 50% off). Indicated for dark to medium
erythema, rosacea, broken capillaries and
– High pulse: delivers the most aggressive train
applied on the face, neck, chest and hands.
of high peak pulses. Indicated for lighter
Contact cooling was developed to prevent
weeks, use of Accutane within the past 6
epidermal adverse effects such as burns, by
months, history of hypertrophy scarring or
maintaining temperature of the epidermis at a
keloid formation and any skin condition or
low level throughout the treatment. Based on a
medications with sensitivity to light. A history
thermoelectrically cooled sapphire window, the
of herpes requires use of prophylaxis prior to
maximizes patient safety, reduces pain and
A test spot was first performed on an adjacent
provides better patient comfort, yet allows the
area to determine optimal fluence, pulse
practitioner to deliver higher light fluences for
duration and pulse configuration parameters that
would result in mild, diffused erythema and
These technological advances of the Formax100
edema without any adverse effect. Pigmented
lead to better, safer and faster clinical results
lesions should darken almost immediately and
will exfoliate within a few days while vascular
lesions may disappear immediately. Skin texture
MATERIALS AND METHODS
overall appearance should improve within 1
hour, resulting in mild erythema and mild
edema that will give a skin replenishing glowing
look. For darker skin types a waiting period of
unexpected delayed response. Once optimal
- Pulse duration: 10-12-15-20 and 25 msec
treatment parameters were determined, on a
totally clean skin surface, two passes were
performed over the face and hands area and a
single pass over the neck and chest areas, per
session. The light guide should float gently over
Treatments were conducted at the American
Typical initial treatment parameters for light
Thirty (30) female subjects aged 35 to 65, with
skin patients were; Smooth to Long Pulse, 10
skin types II-IV, were subjected to 4 treatments
msec at a fluence of 15 J/cm2, while for darker
spaced 4 weeks apart. Subjects were followed-
skin patients these were; Smooth Pulse, 25 msec
up 48 hours after each treatment to assess
at 10 J/cm2. Pending individual patient response
treatment parameters were adjusted to be
complications, and 1 month after the last
slightly more aggressive from treatment to
treatment to evaluate results and patient
satisfaction with the procedure. Subjective
clinical improvement was assessed by the
physician by comparing pre- and post-treatment
On the majority of patients (90%) a subjective
photographs and by the patients by assigning a
skin clearance rate of 70% to 90% was assigned
grade of 1 to 5, 1 indicating no result and 5
These results were in line with expectations
Prior to treatment patients filled a medical
rejuvenation results. In some patients results
history form and signed a consent form and
were above expectation possibly due to the new
were questioned to rule out any contraindication
Pulse Form technology incorporated in the
to intense light treatment. Contraindications
include tanning of the area within the past 3-4
Figure 2. Textural skin damage with sun
erythema in only 2 patients (6%) and resolved
spots (lentigos)
spontaneously within a few days. No hypo- or hyper-pigmentation or any other complications
- 3 patients had positive subjective results
Figure 3. textural treatment for open pores
- 27 patients were very satisfied - 2 patients were satisfied
Before 4 weeks after 3 treatmentsFigure 1. Solar pigmentation (lentigo) CONCLUSIONS Our initial experience with the new Formax100 for skin photo rejuvenation resulted in a high satisfaction rate in the majority (90%) of the patients.
In cases of pigmented and vascular lesions a subjective skin clearance rate of between 60%
to >80% was assessed by the treating physician.
There were no adverse effects nor any serious or
throughout the treatment sessions, apart from 2 transient cases of marked erythema (6%).
The expected skin reaction of diffused erythema
and mild edema appeared in 90% of the cases.
A high level of safety and comfort was noted by
indicating good results in more than 90% of
the patients as well as high practitioner
confidence in the machine. Safety and low
In our experience the new Formax100 system
complication rates associated with Formax100
demonstrates similar clinical efficacy and safety
pulsed light skin rejuvenation is of particular
in reducing pigmented sun damage and vascular
significance when treating dark skin. It is
irregularities as well as textural damage. Proper
concluded that Formax100 photo rejuvenation
patient selection and critical diagnosis serves to
can be the basis for safe and effective skin
rejuvenation in even darker skin patients but this has yet to be confirmed.
- Controls the “aggressiveness” of light
IPL photo rejuvenation has become the modality
of choice for many patients seeking a non-invasive, no- downtime aesthetic treatment for
- Allows optimization of clinical treatment
signs of aging or sun-damaged skin. Formax100
with DPC pulsing technology and skin contact
while minimizing risk to patient’s skin
cooling, in combination with the 535 & 580 nm
- Increases system effectiveness for a broader
handpieces appears to be an excellent system for
range of skin types, while maintaining a
- Assures effective SR results on a wider
Initial experience on 30 female patients resulted
in very high satisfaction rates with no serious or
practitioners who are experienced with other IPL systems were highly impressed and satisfied
incorporated in the Formax100 system. In addition to assuring safety and efficacy, the
system was found to be easy and convenient to
Our clinical results with the Formax100 system
are in line with previous publications describing
the use of intense pulsed light for the treatment of skin photo rejuvenation and superficial
High patient satisfaction, as found in our study,
was noted in published clinical studies,
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