The use of fractional laser photothermolysis for the treatment of atrophic scars.

BACKGROUND: Patients with atrophic scars commonly seek treatment for their removal but are often concerned about the prolonged recovery, short-lived results, and/or ineffectiveness of available therapies. A novel treatment using a 1,550-nm erbium-doped fiber laser to induce fractional photothermolysis of treated skin has been used to resurface photodamaged skin but has not been studied previously in patients with atrophic scars to determine its effectiveness for this condition. PURPOSE: To determine the effectiveness and safety of 1,550-nm erbium-doped fiber laser treatment on atrophic scars. METHODS: Fifty-three patients (skin phototypes I-V) with mild to moderate atrophic facial acne scars received monthly treatment with a 1,550-nm erbium-doped fiber laser (Fraxel, Reliant Technologies Inc., San Diego, CA). Clinical response to treatment was determined at each treatment visit and 6 months after the final treatment session by two independent assessors using a quartile grading scale. Side effects and patient satisfaction were monitored at each follow-up visit. RESULTS: Clinical improvement averaged 51% to 75% in nearly 90% of patients after three monthly laser treatments. Mean improvement scores increased proportionately with each successive laser session. Clinical response rates were independent of age, gender, or skin phototype. Side effects included transient erythema and edema in most patients, but no dyspigmentation, ulceration, or scarring. CONCLUSIONS: Atrophic scars can be effectively and safely reduced with 1,550-nm erbium-doped fiber laser treatment.

Open-label pilot study of alitretinoin gel 0.1% in the treatment of photoaging.

Alitretinoin (9-cis-retinoic acid) is an FDA-approved topical therapy for the treatment of Kaposi sarcoma. Alitretinoin is a naturally occurring endogenous retinoid that binds to and activates all known intracellular retinoic acid receptor (RAR) subtypes alpha, beta, and gamma and retinoic X receptor (RXR) subtypes alpha, beta, and gamma. Photoaging of the skin is the result of accumulated exposure to solar UV radiation. Several topically applied retinoids have been proven clinically effective for treating the appearance of photoaging. Tretinoin and tazarotene, which have been shown to improve photodamaged skin, bind RAR subtypes only. The theoretic benefit of alitretinoin gel 0.1% (Panretin) in the treatment of photoaged skin stems from the binding and activation of both RARs and RXRs, which promote the repair mechanisms in damaged skin. The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of topical alitretinoin gel 0.1% in the treatment of photodamaged skin. The treatment was well tolerated by participants (N=20) and subjectively showed improvement of benign skin lesions (eg, seborrheic keratoses) and precancerous lesions (eg, actinic keratoses). Larger, blinded, controlled trials are needed to investigate the role of this novel retinoid in the treatment of photoaging.

Effects of topical arnica gel on post-laser treatment bruises.

BACKGROUND: Claims have been made suggesting that topical arnica prevents and speeds the resolution of bruises, yet there are no well-designed placebo-controlled studies to date evaluating topical arnica's effect on bruising. OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of topical arnica in the prevention and resolution of laser-induced bruising. METHODS: Nineteen patients with facial telangiectases were enrolled in this randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study and were divided into pretreatment and posttreatment groups. The pretreatment group applied arnica with vehicle to one side of the face and vehicle alone to the other side of the face twice a day for 2 weeks prior to laser treatment. The posttreatment group followed the same procedure for 2 weeks after laser treatment. On day 0, all patients were treated for facial telangiectases using a 585 nm pulsed dye laser. Bruising was assessed using a visual analog scale on days 0, 3, 7, 10, 14, and 17 by the patient and the physician. In addition, photographs taken at each of the follow-up visits were later assessed by a second physician using the visual analog scale. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference between the mean scores of arnica and vehicle (P = 0.496) and the mean scores of arnica and vehicle (P = 0.359) in the pretreatment and posttreatment groups, respectively. CONCLUSION: No significant difference was found between topical arnica and vehicle in the prevention or resolution of bruising.

The effects of topical vitamin K on bruising after laser treatment.

BACKGROUND: Pulsed dye laser treatment and other cosmetic procedures result in significant bruising. Claims have been made regarding the efficacy of topical vitamin K in both preventing and speeding the clearing of bruising; however, well-controlled studies are lacking. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of topical vitamin K versus placebo in the prevention and clearing of laser-induced purpura. METHODS: A total of 22 patients were enrolled in this double-blind randomized placebo-controlled study. The patients were divided into pretreatment and posttreatment groups; the 11 patients in the former group applied vitamin K cream to half of their face and vehicle alone to the other half of their face twice daily for 2 weeks before laser treatment. The latter group followed the same procedure for 2 weeks after laser treatment. On day 0, all subjects underwent laser treatment for facial telangiectases using a 585-nm pulsed dye laser. Bruising was rated by the both the patient and physician by means of a visual analogue scale on days 0, 3, 7, 10, 14, and 17. RESULTS: The side of the face treated with topical vitamin K before laser therapy showed no significant difference in bruising as compared to placebo. However, the side of the face treated with vitamin K cream after laser treatment had significantly lower scores of bruising severity when compared with the side treated with placebo. CONCLUSION: Although pretreatment with vitamin K did not prevent bruising after laser treatment, use of vitamin K cream after laser treatment did reduce the severity of bruising, particularly in the initial days of application.