This edition of the Journal, like all others, covers a wide range of topics in the aesthetic arena. The first two articles look at the use of ablative lasers and their role in treating two very old, and very different, problems. Cho describes the use of a 10,600 nm carbon dioxide laser in the treatment of striae alba while Wolina evaluates the role of an erbium:YAG laser in the treatment of Zoon's balanitis.
In the next series of articles Cho describes a complication of a cryogen-assisted 1450 nm diode laser treatment – that of arcuate crusted lesions. Polnikorn follows by taking another look at the difficulties in treating melasma. Previously he described the treatment of melasma with a q-switched Nd:YAG laser. In the current study he adds to the Q-switched Nd:YAG laser treatment the use of alpha arbutin. Of course there are other Q-switched lasers and Al- Mutairi describes use of the Q-switched ruby laser in the treatment of tattoos while Shirakawa describes treatment of aberrant Mongolian spots with this same laser. Finally, Cho describes another condition that is often treated with Q-switched lasers – that of bilateral nevus of Ota-like macules. Cho shows how this condition can mimic lower eyelid hyperpigmentation.
Readers will enjoy two papers dealing with vascular lesions. In one, Gold describes treatment of infantile hemangioma with optimal pulsed light technology while Piñeyro looks at the role of the carbon dioxide laser in treating liver disease-induced arteriovenous hemangiomas.
Finally in the last series of articles Dias Coelho looks at UVB phototherapy treatment of lymphomatoid papulosis and Oresajo describes the complementary effects of antioxidants and sunscreens in reducing UV induced skin damage.