Treatment of acne scarring using a dual-spot-size ablative fractionated carbon dioxide laser: review of the literature.

BACKGROUND

Fractional photothermolysis has been reported in the literature to improve pigmentary and textural changes associated with acne scarring.

OBJECTIVE

To review the literature for the treatment of acne scarring using nonablative fractional laser (NAFL) and ablative fractional laser (AFL) resurfacing.

METHODS

Review of the Medline literature evaluating NAFL and AFL for acne scarring.

RESULTS

NAFL and AFL are safe and effective treatments for acne scarring. It is likely that the controlled, limited dermal heating of fractional resurfacing initiates a cascade of events in which normalization of the collagenesis-collagenolysis cycle occurs. We present the results of a patient treated using a novel dual-spot-size AFL device. Three months after the final treatment, the patient reported 75% improvement in acne scarring and 63% overall improvement in photoaging.

CONCLUSIONS

Fractionated resurfacing for the treatment of acne scarring is associated with lesser risks of side effects of prolonged erythema and risks of delayed-onset dyspigmentation and scarring which complicate traditional ablative laser resurfacing approaches. We present herein preliminary data suggesting that a dual-spot-size AFL device presents novel advantages of improving texture and pigmentation in acne scarring and photoaging.