Hazards of 400 nm lasers?

[green xenon]

Hi:

What hazards -- other than thermal burns -- does a 400-nanometer-wavelength continuous [i.e. non-pulsed] laser of Class 4 intensity pose to human skin?

As far as I know, 400 nm is the longest wavelength classified as "black light".

Class 4 laser: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_safety#Class_4


Thanks,

Green Xenon

[laserlover]

Hi,

400nm is UV-A radiation and can go through the epidermis (upper skin layer) to the dermis.
There it can cause short lasting changes of the skin colour, like tan.
Much more dangerous is the fact, that UV-A may cause skin cancer by indirect DNA damage.
But I think, with a Class 4 laser the risk of thermal burn is the most important one.

Laserlover

[green xenon]

Hi,

400nm is UV-A radiation and can go through the epidermis (upper skin layer) to the dermis.
There it can cause short lasting changes of the skin colour, like tan.
Much more dangerous is the fact, that UV-A may cause skin cancer by indirect DNA damage.
But I think, with a Class 4 laser the risk of thermal burn is the most important one.

Laserlover

What the heat from the laser cause the skin to char and emit smoke or would it just denature the skin's proteins and dehydrate the skin?