Use of a fractional 1570-nm diode laser scanner for non-ablative face and neck rejuvenation.

BACKGROUND: The use of non-ablative fractionated lasers for skin rejuvenation has been proven to be effective in improving skin texture, and has become popular due to minimal wounding, significantly shorter recovery times and decreased adverse effects. OBJECTIVE: To retrospectively analyze improvement in skin texture in healthy women aged over 18 years with Fitzpatrick skin types II-IV. METHODS: Participants received three facial and/or neck treatments with the 1570-nm fractional scanning diode laser at 1-month intervals. Three months after the last treatment session two blinded evaluators assessed skin improvement using before and after photos. Pain and patient satisfaction were recorded. RESULTS: Sixteen women with a mean age of 45.4 ± 4.1 years (range 35-50 years) and skin type II-IV were included in the analysis. All 16 participants received facial treatments and seven (43.8%) also received neck treatments. Three months follow-up evaluation showed that the majority of participants had a visible change in the treated areas. Mean pain score was low and decreased with each treatment session. CONCLUSION: Skin treatment using fractional scanning 1570-nm diode laser improves skin laxity in women with skin types II-IV. Larger studies are warranted to further clarify the efficacy and safety of this modality.

Successful treatment of submental fat using a non-focused pulsed ultrasound.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of non-invasive aesthetic treatments is increasing, with patients demanding easier, safer, and more effective non-invasive cosmetic procedures. Submental fat is usually addressed using liposuction, which is associated with significant adverse events and a long recovery. Although newer, non-invasive submental fat treatments are gaining popularity, they are often complex, require frequent injections, or have adverse side effects. AIMS: Assess the safety and efficacy of vacuum-assisted acoustic wave technology for treating submental. PATIENTS/METHODS: Fourteen female patients underwent a total of three weekly 15-min treatments using ultrasound with a 40 mm bell-shaped sonotrode. Improvement in submental fat was assessed 3 months after the final treatment using questionnaires for the patients and physicians. Two blinded dermatologists rated each patient using the Clinician-Reported Submental Fat Rating Scale (CR-SMFRS) 5-point scale. RESULTS: Both physicians rated a significant improvement in all 14 patients. Furthermore, self-evaluation of the 14 patients on a 1 to 5 satisfaction scale averaged 2.14, indicating that most patients were somewhat satisfied. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that a three-treatment course with an acoustic wave ultrasound applicator with 1-week intervals leads to a significant reduction in submental fat and can be used as a novel, efficient treatment paradigm.