[Low level laser irradiation and its effect on repair processes in the skin]

Abstract

Introduction: Application of laser beams for therapeutic purposes is of relatively recent date, but today there is no field of medicine where lasers cannot be used.

Physical characteristics of laser radiation: Laser radiation is a type of electromagnetic radiation with some specific characteristics such as coherence, monochromaticity and parallelity.

Types of laser devices: Nowadays, there are many laser devices on the market used in medicine and dentistry. According to the type of their active medium, lasers can be classified as solid, gas, semiconductor and liquid.

Effects of low level laser therapy on biological systems: The exact mechanism of action of low level laser therapy is still not completely understood. Its basic feature is to modulate cell behaviour, without causing significant temperature increase. During irradiation of a tissue with a laser beam, an interaction between cells and photons takes place--photochemical reaction. After a cell absorbs the photon, the photon stops existing, and its energy is incorporated into the molecule which has absorbed it. Once this energy is transferred to different biomolecules, it can be transferred to other molecules as well. The energy transferred to the molecule can increase its kinetic energy, and activate or deactivate enzymes or alter physical or chemical properties of main macromolecules.

Effects of low level laser therapy on wound healing: Effects of low level laser therapy on wound healing process is one of the most fully studied aspects of this type of therapy. It affects all phases of this very complex process. This paper offers a more detailed analysis of these aspects.