Book excerpt: A comprehensive and practical overview In the last two decades, there has been a virtual explosion in the use of lasers in medicine, especially in the field of cosmetic dermatology. In fact, many of the clinical conditions presented today are solely treated by lasers. When discussing the term lasers', many different types of lasers and other similar energy-based devices have to be considered. Physicians who look upon this vast field often find themselves facing an extremely complex physics-based area of medicine with a veritable jungle of different devices on offer. This book provides a structured and comprehensive overview of the physical knowledge required to understand laser medicine and surgery. Moreover, the various clinical indications and treatments are clearly laid out and discussed. The authors, all experts in their field, have provided concise and topical chapters, which have purposely been kept generic when talking about the various lasers in order to increase the longevity of this volume.