Page 315 - Blog Posts v1

E50 - Light penetration into skin and the subsequent temperature rise
Where does light go when it enters the skin?
Well, it's actually quite complicated! Some of it reflects off the skin surface, some is absorbed in the melanin (basal layer), some penetrates through to the fatty tissue, while some is turned around and escapes back into the air.
The follow slideshow gives a simple explanation about where some of this light goes:
https://youtu.be/fnFDgEVUQXc
Once in the skin, some of the light energy will be absorbed by chromophores. These may be blood, melanin, water, tattoo inks or various other stuff.
If something absorbs the light energy, then, in many cases, it will generate heat energy, raising the local temperature. Here's how this works:
https://youtu.be/kHtgg8EZLrY
Both of these presentations are simplifications of what is going on in the skin. But they give an idea of some of the processes.
Understanding these processes is important when applying lasers and IPLs units to the skin.
You can download pdf files of the above slideshows here -
light-absorption-in-skinv1.2Download temperature-rise-in-skin-targetsDownload
I don't mind if you use the above in your own marketing materials or blogs - just tell them where you found it please!
Ciao for now, Mike.
Mike’s Blog Posts 315