The Er:YAG laser handpiece of the Harmony system, containing a YAG crystal doped with erbium gas and excited by a pulsed flashlamp, emits light at a shorter wavelength (2,940nm) than the carbon dioxide laser (10,600nm). The wavelength corresponds to a peak in water absorption and is 16 times more strongly absorbed by the water within the skin cells. Because of this property, the laser has been used to selectively vaporized soft tissue. The Er:YAG 2940nm laser also has a very short pulse duration, which further limits damage to surrounding areas. The precise tissue ablation and small zone of residual thermal damage results in faster reepithelialization and an improved side effect profile.