The erbium micropeel

TY - JOUR

T1 - The erbium micropeel

T2 - A prospective, randomized trial of the effects of two fluence settings on facial photoaging

AU - Somoano, Brian

AU - Hantash, Basil M.

AU - Fincher, Edgar F.

AU - Wu, Peggy

AU - Gladstone, Hayes B.

PY - 2011/2/1

Y1 - 2011/2/1

N2 - Background: Recent studies have suggested that a series of low-energy, single-pass ablative laser resurfacing micropeels can reduce photoaging with decreased downtime. This randomized, prospective single-blinded trial sought to determine the ideal settings of sequential erbium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Er:YAG) laser treatments that maximize efficacy and patient satisfaction. Methods: Forty-six subjects with mild-to-moderate facial dyschromia and rhytides were evenly randomized to two Er:YAG treatment arms. Patients in the lower fluence (LF) (2.5 J/cm2) and higher fluence (HF) (3.8 J/cm2) groups each received three one-pass, full-face treatments one month apart. Patient and investigator assessments of rhytides, dyschromia and global appearance were performed at baseline and at four, eight and 20 weeks using a nominal scale from 1-4. Adverse events and patient satisfaction were also evaluated. Results: Patient scores showed rhytid improvement only with HF treatments. Investigator scores at three months post-treatment showed dyschromia was significantly improved in both study arms, with a 24 and 36 percent reduction for the LF and HF groups, respectively. Global appearance scores improved by 25 and 32 percent, respectively. A trend towards greater post-procedure erythema and time-to-erythema resolution was observed in the HF group. Mild peeling was the most common adverse event. Individuals who underwent LF treatments were more likely to pursue future treatments. Conclusion: Both settings resulted in moderate but significant improvement in dyschromia, although only HF treatment improved rhytides. The decreased downtime of LF treatments made this the preferred choice of patients.

AB - Background: Recent studies have suggested that a series of low-energy, single-pass ablative laser resurfacing micropeels can reduce photoaging with decreased downtime. This randomized, prospective single-blinded trial sought to determine the ideal settings of sequential erbium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Er:YAG) laser treatments that maximize efficacy and patient satisfaction. Methods: Forty-six subjects with mild-to-moderate facial dyschromia and rhytides were evenly randomized to two Er:YAG treatment arms. Patients in the lower fluence (LF) (2.5 J/cm2) and higher fluence (HF) (3.8 J/cm2) groups each received three one-pass, full-face treatments one month apart. Patient and investigator assessments of rhytides, dyschromia and global appearance were performed at baseline and at four, eight and 20 weeks using a nominal scale from 1-4. Adverse events and patient satisfaction were also evaluated. Results: Patient scores showed rhytid improvement only with HF treatments. Investigator scores at three months post-treatment showed dyschromia was significantly improved in both study arms, with a 24 and 36 percent reduction for the LF and HF groups, respectively. Global appearance scores improved by 25 and 32 percent, respectively. A trend towards greater post-procedure erythema and time-to-erythema resolution was observed in the HF group. Mild peeling was the most common adverse event. Individuals who underwent LF treatments were more likely to pursue future treatments. Conclusion: Both settings resulted in moderate but significant improvement in dyschromia, although only HF treatment improved rhytides. The decreased downtime of LF treatments made this the preferred choice of patients.

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M3 - Article

VL - 10

SP - 179

EP - 185

JO - Journal of Drugs in Dermatology

JF - Journal of Drugs in Dermatology

SN - 1545-9616

IS - 2

ER -