HALO®

Sciton calls HALO a hybrid fractional laser, meaning it delivers two different laser wavelengths to the same tiny treatment spots in a single pass, instead of a provider choosing one wavelength or the other. A 1470 nanometer wavelength is non-ablative, meaning it heats tissue in the dermis (the deeper layer of skin) without breaking the surface, while a 2940 nanometer erbium wavelength is ablative, meaning it removes a controlled, very small amount of the outer skin (epidermis) at each spot; both depths can be adjusted by the provider. The idea behind combining them is to get some of the tone-, texture- and pore-improving results associated with older, fully ablative resurfacing lasers, while keeping the shorter recovery time associated with non-ablative lasers. HALO is used for concerns such as fine lines, sun damage, uneven pigment, enlarged pores and acne scars, on a Sciton JOULE platform. Sciton introduced HALO in April 2014, and in a June 2018 announcement it said HALO's FDA-cleared indications had been expanded to specifically include wrinkles and scar revision, including acne scars; a primary FDA 510(k) record was not independently located to confirm the clearance number for the original 2014 device.