The near infrared ST (Skin Tightening) handpiece delivers uniform energy distribution and effectively targets lipids and connective tissue. It exerts its biological effect on the skin through two major mechanisms:
•Heat-induced collagen shrinkage and micro-thermal injury
•Dermal regeneration, repair (wound healing) and remodeling

The ST handpiece produces dramatic, yet comfortable deep dermal heating without damage to the epidermis.

ST handpiece: how it works

Key components to non-ablative skin remodeling are epidermal protection and proper selection of laser/light irradiation wavelength and energy to evoke the desired thermal response in the papillary and upper reticular dermis. These non-ablative modalities obviate the need for epidermal injury and promote the reorganization and proliferation of important dermal structures to reverse photo-damaged and lax skin via thermal or photochemical process.

Heat is generated within the zone of optical penetration immediately by direct absorption of optical energy. Heating decreases with tissue depth as absorption and scattering attenuate the incident beam. In the 800-1000nm range, penetration is deep (~2.5mm) and tissue heating is done by conduction. In contrast, in the 1.2-2.0nm, penetration is modest (~1.0mm) (see chart below) and water absorption is dominant.

The ST handpiece emits light between 780-1000nm (near infrared) where the optical window is ideal for direct subdermal heating (connective tissue, proteins) with low water absorption in the epidermis. These conditions negate the need for aggressive epidermal cooling.