Acne Scar Reduction -
Nonablative Laser Treatment

"New Technique for Acne Scar Reduction with Laser Surgery..." 

....Nonablative acne scar reduction laser surgery seems to be the key to removal of acne scars effectively after three to five sessions. Recovery time is much shorter than conventional ablative laser treatment, a new study indicates.

The study was carried out at the DermSurgery Laser Center, Houston, USA.

Dr Paul Friedman, study leader told Reuters news agency that "Improvement is long-lasting, and patients) may continue to improve for up to a year following the last treatment."

Acne Scar Reduction

Acne leaves scars when the protein collagen of the skin is damaged. This new nonablative laser treatment acts under the surface of the skin and stimtulates collagen growth. This method helps get rid of scarring and also reduces fine lines.

This nonablative laser treatment also makes the skin smoother and gives it a healthy glow. Current laser treatment (ablative) heats and removes skin. Patients take much longer to recover - usually from one week to ten days.

Unlike "traditional" resurfacing procedures, in which the epidermis (skin)  is sacrificed, leaving a raw surface that takes days to heal, Non-Ablative Laser Resurfacing or "PhotoRejuvenation" utilizes light energy to stimulate collagen remodeling and/or remove irregular pigmentation and enlarged blood vessels from the skin surface.

Because this technique doesn't injure the outer layers of skin, there is no prolonged healing phase with the associated risk of complications and loss of time from normal activities.

Treating Acne Scarring

With nonablative treatment you can go about your daily business, even work, straight after a session. Each nonablative session has an average cost of $400-$600.

Dr. Friedman's study involved 11 patients who had mild to moderate acne scars. There was a 10% improvement in skin soon after three sessions. After 5 sessions (one month from start) improvement was 23%. After 6 months there was a 40% improvement.

The skin continues to improve after treatment, commented Dr Friedman. This is because the collagen continues to remodel the skin.

The treatment with a diode laser offers a viable option for achieving moderate improvement in the appearance of atrophic acne scars with no downtime, according to preliminary results from a randomized study conducted at the Washington Institute of Dermatologic Laser Surgery, Washington.

Acne Scar Cure

"These nonablative lasers have been proven safe and effective for improving rhytids (wrinkles) by stimulating dermal collagen synthesis, and so it seemed rational that they might also be used to treat atrophic acne scars. Our results so far indicate both systems are a good addition for treating atrophic acne scars, and those observations are consistent with some recent reports describing efficacy during short-term follow-up of patients treated with a 1320nm Nd:YAG laser.

However, we are continuing to observe our patients in order to evaluate the longevity of the effects and if there are any relative efficacy differences between these systems," said Elizabeth L. Tanzi, M.D., a fellow at the Washington practice under the direction of Tina Alster, M.D.

Nonablative Acne Laser Treatment

The study used a split-face design and included 20 patients  who received three treatments at monthly intervals to the full cheeks and temple region using a (CoolTouch) laser on one side and a diode (Smoothbeam) laser on the othery.

Outcome assessments, including clinical ratings improvement by two independent investigators examining pretreatment and posttreatment digital photographs and patient satisfaction ratings,  were planned at study visits over a 12-month period after the last treatment.

Follow-up to six months indicates that there is progressive improvement over time, becoming evident at a follow-up visit three months after the last treatment. Overall, the changes have been mild to moderate - at six months, investigator improvement ratings averaged about 45 percent, with mild to moderate atrophic scars appearing to respond better than more severe "icepick" scars.

So far, the results in all efficacy end points show a modest advantage of the 1450nm diode laser over the 1320nm Nd:YAG laser, although the difference is slight, Dr. Tanzi said.