Acne Vulgaris Discussions and Research

In a study published recently in the Journal of American Academy of Dermatology, a team of Korean researchers reported that the pulsed dye laser (PDL) and the 1065-nm long-pulsed neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd:YAG) laser were equally effective in treating atrophic facial acne scars in the same patient.

Eighteen patients were enrolled in the 14-week, single-blinded, randomized, comparative split-face study. Each patient received 4 treatment sessions at 2-week intervals. The board-certified dermatologists who performed the treatments did not participate in outcome assessments. Follow-up occurred at 2-week intervals during the treatment period and at 4-week intervals for 8 weeks afterwards. Acne scar improvements were assessed and scored (based on the ECCA clinical evaluation scale) by two masked dermatologists.

The results: Both types of laser treatments produced notable and comparable improvement in the appearance of acne scars, especially superficial scars. Ice-pick scars (narrow, deeply pitted scars) and boxcar scars (round or oval scars) tended to respond better to PDL and Nd:YAG lasers, respectively.

The authors concluded that both lasers “are effective modalities for the treatment of acne scars. Optimal outcomes might be achieved considering scar types and responses to a specific laser.”

Source: Lee DH, Choi YS, Min SU, Yoon MY, Suh DH. Comparison of a 585-nm pulsed dye laser and a 1064-nm Nd:YAG laser for the treatment of acne scars: A randomized split-face clinical study. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2009 Feb 12. [Epub ahead of print].

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 6th, 2009 at 6:43 pm and is filed under Acne Scars. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.