Skin Treatment System and Method

Abstract

A hand held device generates a predetermined number of pulses of electromagnetic radiation having a predetermined electromagnetic spectrum, a predetermined duration, a predetermined inter-pulse interval, and a predetermined total energy. The pulse sequence is delivered to a skin surface to reduce or eliminate Xray or ultraviolet radiation damage to the skin surface.

1 - 66 . (canceled) 
     
     
         67 . A method to delay skin aging comprising providing regular, skin-damage-preventative applications of visible light energy from a light-emitting hand-held device to a skin surface, the skin surface not yet in need of correction of damaged skin, wherein each application of visible light energy stimulates a repair response in the tissue proximate the light application site. 
     
     
         68 . The skin treatment method of  claim 67  wherein each application of visible light energy is delivered in multiple passes. 
     
     
         69 . The skin treatment method of  claim 68  wherein each pass includes one or more pulses of visible light energy. 
     
     
         70 . The skin treatment method of  claim 67  wherein the healing response includes the release of growth factors in the tissue. 
     
     
         71 . The skin treatment method of  claim 67 , wherein the interval between applications is a week or more. 
     
     
         72 . A skin treatment method to delay skin aging comprising regularly applying an effective amount of incoherent light to a target skin surface, the target skin surface not yet in need of correction of damaged skin, to at least partially prevent damage to the skin caused by exposure to ultraviolet radiation, the applying including the steps of: (a) generating a predetermined number of pulses of light, each pulse having a predetermined electromagnetic spectrum; and (b) directing the pulses of light to the skin surface. 
     
     
         73 . The skin treatment method of  claim 72 , wherein the pulses of light have an interpulse interval between about 1 msec and about 500 msec. 
     
     
         74 . The skin treatment method of  claim 72 , wherein each pulse of light has a pulse duration of 1 msec to 2 sec. 
     
     
         75 . The skin treatment method of  claim 72 , wherein each pulse of light has a pulse duration of 1 msec to 100 msec. 
     
     
         76 . The skin treatment method of  claim 72 , wherein the electromagnetic spectrum is at least partially predetermined by a light filter selection. 
     
     
         77 . The skin treatment method of  claim 72 , wherein the applying of an effective amount of incoherent light occurs in multiple passes in a single session. 
     
     
         78 . The skin treatment method of  claim 72 , wherein the pulses of light are directed to the skin surface by a hand-held device. 
     
     
         79 . The skin treatment method of  claim 78 , wherein the hand-held device includes a skin-contacting skin cooling element. 
     
     
         80 . The skin treatment method of  claim 77 , wherein one pass is at a fluence of between 1 J/cm 2  and 20 J/cm 2 . 
     
     
         81 . A method of promoting skin health comprising:
 regularly applying light to a skin target, the regularly applying light including the steps of: (a) generating a predetermined number of pulses of additional light, each pulse having a predetermined electromagnetic spectrum; and (b) directing the pulses of additional light to the skin target;   wherein the applying of light is effective to prevent the skin target from assuming a changed condition as compared to the skin target had no light been regularly applied to the skin target.   
     
     
         82 . The method  claim 81  wherein to prevent the skin target from assuming a changed condition avoids the skin target becoming cancerous. 
     
     
         83 . The method  claim 81  wherein to prevent the skin target from assuming a changed condition avoids the skin target becoming pre-cancerous. 
     
     
         84 . The method  claim 81  wherein to prevent the skin target from assuming a changed condition avoids the skin target becoming sun-damaged. 
     
     
         85 . The method  claim 81  wherein to prevent the skin target from assuming a changed condition avoids the skin target becoming burned. 
     
     
         86 . The method  claim 81  wherein to prevent the skin target from assuming a changed condition results in the skin target being smooth and healthy. 
     
     
         85 . A method of promoting skin health comprising providing regular, skin-damage-preventative applications of visible light energy from a light-emitting hand-held device to a skin target, the skin target in need of correction of damaged skin, wherein each application of visible light energy stimulates a repair response in the tissue proximate the light application site to prevent further damage to the skin target caused by exposure to ultraviolet radiation. 
     
     
         86 . The method of  claim 85  wherein the further damage is of a type different than the type of damage to the skin in need of correction. 
     
     
         87 . The method of  claim 85  wherein the further damage is of a type that is the same as the type of damage to the skin in need of correction.