CO2 laser therapy for rhinophyma.

Laser treatment of skin changes has become common practice in recent years. High absorption of the CO2 laser wavelength (10,600 nm) in water is responsible for its low penetration depth in biological tissue. Shortening the tissue exposure time minimizes the thermic side effects of laser radiation, such as carbonization and coagulation. This can be achieved with scanner systems (e.g., SilkTouch scanner, Feather Touch scanner), that move the focused laser beam over a defined area by microprocessor-controlled rapidly rotating mirrors. This enables controlled and reliable removal of certain dermal lesions, particularly hypertrophic scars, scars after common acne, wrinkles, and rhinophyma. Laser ablation of rhinophyma is a stress-minimizing procedure for the surgeon and the patient, as it is nearly bloodless and can be performed under local anesthesia. Cosmetically favorable re-epithelialization of the lasered surfaces is achieved within a very short period of time.