Adhesive skin shields block most laser wavelengths but fail with Nd YAG

Adhesive skin shields block laser and IPL energy much more effectively than traditional medical tapes, but they fail completely under a 1,064-nm Nd:YAG laser, requiring clinics to adjust their protective protocols. A study slated for the August 2026 issue of Dermatologic Surgery evaluated these shields against common wavelengths. For the 532-nm KTP, 810-nm diode, and 2,940-nm Er:YAG lasers, as well as IPL, the skin shields restricted energy transmission to between 0.04% and 7.18%. By comparison, common clinic workarounds offered poor protection, with silk tape allowing 45.45% energy transmission and single-layer paper tape letting through 42.58%. Even traditional laser eye shields allowed 11.48% transmission. However, the 1,064-nm Nd:YAG laser physically damages both skin shields and eye shields. Because of this destruction, the researchers warn against using any of these adhesive shields or standard eye shields during Nd:YAG treatments. In practice, while skin shields are a superior choice over tape for shielding adjacent tissue during KTP, diode, Er:YAG, or IPL procedures, you must rely on alternative, wavelength-rated barriers when firing an Nd:YAG.

Source: Dermatologic Surgery, https://doi.org/10.1097/DSS.0000000000005045