ESLD or European Society for Laser Dermatology (which is the sister society of EADV) dedicates itself to dermatological procedures performed not only with means relating to photons (lasers, intense pulsed light sources and light emitting diodes) and also electrical current technology (electrocautery, radio frequency). Every aspect of these techniques are taken into account- i.e. research, biological effects on the skin, efficiency, safety and quality of cosmetic improvement etc.

Members of ESLD are mainly European Dermatologists of good standing with an extensive experience in these treatments. Before being accepted by the society, each candidacy has to be “sponsored” by a godfather who already belongs to ESLD. Every country in Europe has a national coordinator who also gives his/her opinion on the potential member.

The goal of ESLD is to teach excellence in standards of techniques to its members by all possible means:

1. The annual meeting is organised on the sisters societies’ days, Wednesday before EADV starts. Every year this meeting brings more and more enthusiasm, as last year over 150 people attended. The quality of the programme and the large panel of international high quality speakers is always a priority. This allows us to bring the most accurate and up to date information in each specific field.
2. The Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy is the official scientific journal of ESLD. This excellent peer-reviewed and indexed publication is published quarterly. Many members of ESLD have published scientific articles in it and we continue to encourage them to continue to do so. To promote access to this high quality scientific information, members of ESLD get a discount on the standard price.
3. ESLD Website. This brand new means of communication and information is still under construction but will play a major role in the future. The pages open to the public will allow people to choose within their country or area, a laser specialist, who is a member of ESLD. The site will also provide information about new technologies and important meetings in the future. Useful links to other related sites will be proposed. The part dedicated to “Members only” will not only provide the membership list to encourage contact and collaboration between ESLD members but will also show a quarterly News Letter as well as Guidelines for treatment (see No 4). The members pages will also be a place where members can exchange ideas, pictures etc. It can also be a place where help can be found from other experienced members to resolve difficult cases.
4. Guidelines are another key point in teaching a good standard to ESLD members. Each specialty of the different techniques will soon be available on the website, in the “Members only” section.
5. Teaching centres are an exclusive way to offer in-depth live teaching. The first centre recently opened in Israel. We are planning to open another one soon in Scandinavia and in the near future we will try to cover most of Europe.

In conclusion, ESLD’s priority is to guard excellence of care by teaching its members the best ways of treating patients with light and other related techniques.