This issue of the Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy will discuss some of the newest lasers and their varied applications. At the forefront of nonablative therapy is fractional photothermolysis which has gained favor as the preferred treatment for dermatoheliosis. Behroozan et al. report a novel case of surgical scar improvement with this device, while Ke et al. review the optimal treatments for hyperpigmentation, highlighting this new technology as a viable treatment for both melasma and post‐inflammatory hyperpigmentation. In comparing other nonablative devices for skin tightening, Taylor and Prokopenko compare the effects of the long‐pulsed 1064 Nd:YAG laser with the ThermaCool® radiofrequency device on skin laxity. For ablative technologies, Khatri et al. evaluate the safety and efficacy of the portable FriendlyLight® Er:YAG laser in the treatment of photo‐damaged skin.
Advances in laser technology have also made headway in medical dermatology. In treating alopecia areata, Waiz et al. evaluate the pulsed infrared diode laser (904nm). With tighter restrictions on the use of isotretinoin for acne, newer devices are explored to deliver results with minimal long term complications. Tremblay et al. evaluate the light‐emitting diode 415nm in the treatment of inflammatory acne. Lastly, Trelles and Allones evaluate if red light‐emitting diode therapy accelerates wound healing after blepharoplasty and periocular laser ablative resurfacing.