Table 7.
Energy-based devices and COVID-19 risk
| Procedure | Technology | Risk on face, neck, and scalp | Risk on other parts | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ablative and Ablative fractional resurfacing | CO2 laser and Er:YAG laser | HR (aerosol) | HR (aerosol) | Plume and aerosol generated. |
| Distance between operator and patient is less. | ||||
| Raw areas are created on patients. | ||||
| Ablative radiofrequency (RF) | HR (aerosol) | HR (aerosol) | ||
| Nonablative lasers and nonablative fractional lasers | Erbium glass | MR | LR | No or minimal fumes generated |
| Thulium | ||||
| IPL (nonhair removal), excimer | ||||
| Q-switched Nd:YAG except carbon peel. | MR | LR | ||
| Laser toning | ||||
| Tattoo removal | HR | MR | ||
| No wounds and usually less painful procedures | ||||
| Carbon peel | Q-switched Nd:YAG laser | HR | HR | A lot of laser plume are generated |
| Laser hair reduction | 810 diode, long-pulsed Nd:YAG, alexandrite, triple wavelength | HR | HR | Significant laser plume is generated |
| IPL | MR? | |||
| Vascular lasers | Pulse dye laser | HR | HR | Significant laser plume is generated |
| LLLT | LR | |||
| Energy-based devices for skin tightening | Monopolar and bipolar RF, HIFU, fractional RF, shockwaves, etc. | MR | LR | No or minimal laser plumes |
| No raw areas |
HR = high risk, MR = moderate risk, LR = low risk, LLLT = Low level laser therapy, HIFU = High intensity frequency ultrasound, IPL = Intense pulse light