Follicular unit extraction combined with fractional carbon dioxide laser therapy for post-traumatic eyebrow scar with defects: A prospective and comparative study.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Eyebrows play a crucial role in the human body. While Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) is a widely utilized and highly effective treatment for typical eyebrow deficiencies, it may not yield satisfactory outcomes for patients with post-traumatic eyebrow scars and defects. OBJECTIVE: A prospective comparative clinical study was conducted to explore the treatment outcomes of post-traumatic eyebrow scars accompanied by defects using a combination of ablative fractional CO2 laser therapy with FUE. METHOD: Between January 2019 and January 2023, we enrolled 30 patients with post-traumatic eyebrow scars and accompanying eyebrow defects, randomly assigning them to experimental and control groups. Patients in the control group received FUE treatment exclusively, whereas patients in the experimental group underwent CO2 fractional laser therapy on the eyebrow scars prior to FUE treatment. Alongside the patients' baseline data and the quantity of transplanted follicular units during surgery, we will compare the follicular survival rates between the two groups at 6 and 12 months post-treatment. RESULTS: Prior to FUE, there were no notable variances in baseline data between the two-patient groups. At 6 and 12 months postoperatively, the follicular survival rate in the experimental group was significantly higher compared to the control group. Additionally, patients in the control group were more prone to experiencing postoperative asymmetry between their eyebrows and developing curly hair. CONCLUSION: For patients with post-traumatic eyebrow scars accompanied by eyebrow defects, we applied ablative fractional CO2 laser therapy in combination with FUE treatment. This approach not only resulted in a higher follicular survival rate postoperatively but also led to the achievement of a well-defined eyebrow shape.