Superficial erbium:YAG laser resurfacing of photodamaged skin.

BACKGROUND: Light chemical peels and microdermabrasion have enjoyed recent popularity for the treatment of mild photoaging. However, clinical improvement from these modalities is often minimal from both a patient's and physician's perspective. Erbium:YAG lasers have been effective in treating mild to moderate photoaging, but the need for either regional or general anesthesia, as well as the significant post-treatment recovery period has limited its use.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to utilize a very low fluence approach to erbium:YAG laser resurfacing, with topical anesthesia, to ascertain its efficacy in treating mild to moderate photoaging.

METHODS: A total of 250 subjects aged 28-80 years with skin types 1-4 and mild to moderate facial rhytids were treated with topical anesthesia and subsequently one pass of a 2940 nm erbium:YAG laser, using between 5 and 17.5 J/cm2. In addition, 58 of the treated facial subjects underwent neck resurfacing with fluences between 5 and 15 J/cm2 and eight treated facial subjects underwent upper chest resurfacing at fluences of 5-7 J/cm2. A single treatment was received by 246 subjects; four subjects were treated a second time after a 1-month interval.

RESULTS: Most subjects completely re-epithelialized by 3-4 days; healing time was depth dependent. Most subjects were able to start skin care regimens within 1-2 weeks after the procedure. Results were judged to be excellent in individuals with thin skin and good in subjects with thicker skin.

CONCLUSIONS: One pass of low fluence erbium:YAG resurfacing, under topical anesthesia, was effective for the treatment of mild to moderate photoaging.