New Study Finds CO2 Ablative Fractional Resurfacing Safe And Effective For Deep Acn...(g dermal remodeling at least 1 mm below ...),Health

"In the past, traditional CO2 ablative lasers sandblasted the skin away, resulting in substantial downtime, possible skin discoloration and other potential risks for the patient," said Dr. Chapas, who is in private practice at the Laser & Skin Surgery Center of New York. "With ablative fractional resurfacing technology, we deposit a pixilated pattern of microscopic ablative wounds surrounded by healthy tissue. Similar to fractional photothermolysis, this treatment preserves the epidermis and greatly reduces side effects. Thus, we have the increased efficacy of ablative techniques with the safety and reduced downtime associated with nonablative laser techniques."

The prospective study examined 13 patients with moderate to severe acne scars who had undergone a series of two to three treatments with the CO2 ablative fractional resurfacing device at one to two month intervals. Patients had Caucasian to light Hispanic and Asian skin types and were 28 to 58 years old. Improvements in texture, atrophy, plus the patients' overall satisfaction with their appearance, were graded on a quartile scale by study subjects and investigators after each treatment, and at one and three months after the final treatment. Post-treatment redness, swelling, skin discoloration and other side effects were also graded. A special camera that allows for three-dimensional optical profiling was used to measure the depth of acne scars pre- and post-treatments.

Study results showed that patients and investigators both noted a 26%-50% improvement in the texture, atrophy, and overall appearance of acne scarring, with only mild to moderate side effects reported that resolved quickly during the study period. Further, the three-dimensional optical profiling system showed that all patients e
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