Use of a 532 nm Green Laser for Solar Lentigines: Case Series and Review
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Clinical Study Design
2.2. Narrative Review with a Structured PubMed/Medline Literature Search
3. Results
Case Series Outcomes
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Supplementary Materials
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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| Case | Sex | Age (Years) | Skin Type | Site | VAS (0–10) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Case 1 | M | 65 | II | Dorsum of the hand | 9 |
| Case 2 | F | 42 | II | Forehead | 8 |
| Case 3 | M | 58 | II | Forehead | 10 |
| Case 4 | M | 56 | III | Cheek | 7 |
| Case 5 | F | 47 | II | Left temple | 9 |
| Study | Design/N | Population/Site | Device/Pulse (Comparators) | Key Outcomes and Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Todd et al., 2000 [21] | RCT, n = 27 | Hand solar lentigines | QS 532 Nd:YAG vs. krypton vs. 532 vanadate vs. cryotherapy | QS 532 Nd:YAG is most likely to provide significant lightening and has the fewest adverse effects; most patients preferred laser therapy. |
| Chan et al., 2000 [5] | Randomized split-face, n = 34 | Facial lentigines (Chinese patients) | Versapulse QS 532 vs. long-pulsed 532 vs. conventional QS 532 | Long-pulsed 532 was associated with comparable improvement to conventional QS 532 and lower complication risk than one QS platform. |
| Negishi et al., 2013 [2] | Comparative randomized groups, 355 lesions/193 cases | Asian skin (III-V) | QS ruby vs. QS 532 Nd:YAG; aggressive vs. mild IW endpoints | Aggressive immediate whitening increased PIH without a clear efficacy advantage; mild endpoints reduced PIH risk. |
| Ho et al., 2012 [22] | Retrospective analysis | Asian skin; freckles/lentigines | Multiple pigment lasers (including 532 nm devices) | Real-world outcomes across platforms underscore the heterogeneity of devices, endpoints, and PIH reporting. |
| Kim et al., 2015 [23] | Prospective, n = 20 | Facial lentigines | QS 532 Nd:YAG; objective colorimetry | Improvement is documented with physician/patient assessment and colorimetry, illustrating the value of objective pigment measures. |
| Vachiramon et al., 2016 [24] | RCT, n = 25 | Upper extremity lentigines (Thai, III-IV) | QS 532 Nd:YAG vs. fractional CO2 | QS 532 improved pigmentation more; fractional CO2 had faster healing and less pain; PIH did not differ significantly. |
| Vachiramon et al., 2018 [9] | RCT, 30 paired lesions (28 completed) | Upper extremities (Asian) | KTP 532 ns vs. KTP 532 ps | Both improved luminance; no clear difference in clearance; higher satisfaction with picosecond; similar adverse events. |
| Guss et al., 2017 [25] | Prospective case series | Darker skin types | Picosecond 532 nm Nd:YAG | High clearance reported with acceptable safety when conservative endpoints were used. |
| Negishi et al., 2018 [26] | Clinical trial | Asian phototypes III-IV | Picosecond 532 nm Nd:YAG (dual-wavelength/pulse width) | High proportion of lesions achieved >75% clearance; low PIH; histology supported reduced collateral damage versus QS. |
| Friedmann & Peterson, 2019 [27] | Prospective trial, n = 16 | Facial and hand solar lentigines (types II-III) | IPL with KTP-like filter (525–585 nm) | Significant pigment improvement with minimal downtime; the effect gradually declined over 6 months. |
| Kim et al., 2020 [28] | Split-face RCT, n = 20 | Facial lentigines | 532 ps Nd:YAG vs. 532 QS Nd:YAG | Both effective; the picosecond arm was associated with greater improvement and lower PIH at 4 weeks. |
| Iraji et al., 2022 [14] | Split-hand RCT | Dorsal hand solar lentigo | QS 532 Nd:YAG vs. TCA 35% peel | QS 532 was associated with greater lesion lightening and satisfaction; adverse events were generally mild. |
| Vachiramon et al., 2022 [29] | Evaluator-blinded RCT | Solar lentigines (Asian patients) | KTP 532 ps vs. alexandrite 755 ps | Both improved; the trial reported greater L* improvement with 755 ps; adverse events were similar. |
| Liu et al., 2025 [30] | Randomized clinical trial, n = 42 | Freckles and solar lentigines (face) | 730 ps vs. 532 ps vs. 694 QS | All were effective; pain and histologic changes differed; 532 ps was associated with moderate vacuolar degeneration in basal cells. |
| Negishi et al., 2016 [10] | Prospective split-face RCT, n = 22 | Asian skin; facial photodamage with bilateral solar lentigines | LP 532 KTP alone vs. LP 532 KTP + LP 1064 Nd:YAG | Improvement in pigment indices occurred on both sides; there was no significant clinical difference, but subtle surface changes were detected by 3D analysis; adverse events were minor. |
| Lee et al., 2024 [31] | Case series, n = 6 | Refractory solar lentigines (Korean patients) | 532 nm nanosecond Nd:YAG (VSLS system), single session | Complete lesion removal reported without PIH; mild transient erythema. |
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Share and Cite
Zappia, E.; Cannarozzo, G.; Guarino, L.; Sannino, M.; Gargano, L.; Rizzuto, G.; Clementi, A.; Duca, E.D.; Dattola, A.; Pellacani, G.; et al. Use of a 532 nm Green Laser for Solar Lentigines: Case Series and Review. Cosmetics 2026, 13, 128. https://doi.org/10.3390/cosmetics13030128
Zappia E, Cannarozzo G, Guarino L, Sannino M, Gargano L, Rizzuto G, Clementi A, Duca ED, Dattola A, Pellacani G, et al. Use of a 532 nm Green Laser for Solar Lentigines: Case Series and Review. Cosmetics. 2026; 13(3):128. https://doi.org/10.3390/cosmetics13030128
Chicago/Turabian StyleZappia, Elena, Giovanni Cannarozzo, Luca Guarino, Mario Sannino, Luca Gargano, Giuseppe Rizzuto, Alessandro Clementi, Ester Del Duca, Annunziata Dattola, Giovanni Pellacani, and et al. 2026. "Use of a 532 nm Green Laser for Solar Lentigines: Case Series and Review" Cosmetics 13, no. 3: 128. https://doi.org/10.3390/cosmetics13030128
APA StyleZappia, E., Cannarozzo, G., Guarino, L., Sannino, M., Gargano, L., Rizzuto, G., Clementi, A., Duca, E. D., Dattola, A., Pellacani, G., & Nisticò, S. P. (2026). Use of a 532 nm Green Laser for Solar Lentigines: Case Series and Review. Cosmetics, 13(3), 128. https://doi.org/10.3390/cosmetics13030128

