Laser treatment for scars and wounds.

A complex array of reparative tissue mechanisms occur in the skin after epithelial barrier disruption and many patients develop abnormal healing responses that result in inadequate restoration of the cutaneous surface. Consequently, this may manifest in various maladies such as ulceration if re-epithelialization fails to occur or a hypertrophic scar or keloid if the wound healing process becomes too exuberant. Cutaneous injuries that result in scar tissue formation or ulceration are relatively common and lead patients to seek treatment for cosmetic or functional improvement. Laser technology has evolved over the past few decades to become the treatment of choice for many types of scars. Animal models and in vitro studies have also shown lasers to facilitate more rapid resolution of cutaneous ulceration, although this has yet to be consistently observed in humans. The evidence that addresses the use of lasers for scars and chronic wounds will be reviewed herein.