Laser and Energy Treatments for Acne Scarring: A Review of Clinical Trials.

BACKGROUND

Acne scarring can have a detrimental impact on quality of life, making early and effective treatment essential. Lasers and energy-based treatment are the preferred treatment modality, yet a clear consensus on the ideal laser selection is lacking in the literature.

AIMS: This review article aims to describe the therapeutic potential of lasers for acne scarring with a focus on clinical trials involving atrophic facial acne scars.

METHODS

A search was conducted in PubMed with keywords such as "acne scars", "laser resurfacing", "fractional laser", "nonfractional laser", "ablative laser", "nonablative laser", with attention to clinical trials completed between 2018 to 2022; results were summarized in narrative format.

RESULTS

Improvement in acne scarring is seen from a variety of lasers, with ablative lasers offering the most significant improvement combined with a longer downtime as compared to nonablative lasers. Laser treatment can be combined with a variety of other therapies, including platelet-rich plasma, to increase efficacy. The choice of laser is highly individualized and relies on shared decision-making between the patient and physician.

CONCLUSION

This study presents an overview of clinical trials in laser treatment for acne scarring between 2018 through 2022. Overall, ablative lasers offered the most significant improvement in acne scars. Laser selection is a patient-centered process that requires attention to the type of scarring present, the patient's goals, and the advantages and disadvantages unique to each laser. J Drugs Dermatol. 2024;23(12):1058-1062. doi:10.36849/JDD.8195.