Lasers in dermatology

BACKGROUND: There is a dearth of effective treatments to counter retinol-induced skin irritation. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of three potential mitigants: (i) phytosteryl/octyldodecyl lauroyl glutamate (PLG), (ii) a physiologic lipid mixture (PLM) comprised of ceramide three and cholesterol, and (iii) niacinamide, in ameliorating irritation instigated by retinol. METHODS: An occlusive human patch test, spanning 5 days, was undertaken on 18 Chinese participants aged between 23 and 40...

BACKGROUND: Enoxolone, derived from licorice, possesses potent anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. However, its effectiveness in alleviating post-laser reactions has not been extensively studied. AIMS: This randomized split-face pilot study aimed to evaluate the effects of enoxolone on skin following laser treatment. PATIENTS/METHODS: Ten healthy subjects underwent non-ablative 1550 nm Er:Glass fractional laser treatment and then randomly applied a moisturizer without enoxolone on one side of the face and a dermo-cosmetic formular containing 2% enoxolone mixed with the same moisturizer on the other side...

BACKGROUND: Autologous fat injection techniques are specially performed to restore the lack of face volume. AIM: However, no reports have focused on the effect of sides of injection on the sagging appearance improvements and facial lifting. This study aimed to evaluate face lifting using the autologous fat injection in to sides of the face as a new technique. METHODS: Ten patients with aging face were involved in this study. The procedure was done in an anaerobic method...

BACKGROUND: Alopecia areata is a chronic and relapsing condition that affects individuals of all age groups. Dermoscopy is a popular and non-invasive method for diagnosing alopecia areata. This study aimed to analyze dermoscopic findings and their relationship with age, gender, appearance, and clinical signs in children and adults. METHODS: This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted on 124 children and adults diagnosed with alopecia areata who were referred to a Hospital in Iran between 2021 and 2022...

BACKGROUND: We previously demonstrated a possible therapeutic benefit of VFEM (variable frequency electromagnetic energy) technology for the treatment of Post Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS) or Chronic Lyme Disease (CLD). As a result, we prospectively enrolled 10 patients, all having significant debility, to determine to what extent we could improve their quality of life. Eight patients completed the 10 treatments. RESULTS: All eight patients had a significant improvement in quality of life within a 4-month time frame...

The heightened awareness of ethnic dermatology aligns with the growing prevalence of skin of color communities globally, where hyperpigmentation disorders pose a common dermatological challenge. Effectively addressing dermal pigmentation is challenging due to its resistance to conventional therapies and its association with impaired quality of life. This underscores the need for effective treatments and a thorough grasp of laser advancements. A relevant literature search spanning the last 7 years across the PubMed database reveals core studies, challenges, and the evolution of laser technologies tailored for various forms of congenital and acquired dermal hyperpigmentation in skin of color...

BACKGROUND: Pulsed-dye lasers (PDL) are one of the standard therapies for rosacea, but alternatives are needed. AIMS: To compare the efficacy and safety of the variable-sequenced, large-spot 532 nm KTP laser to the 595 nm PDL in treating rosacea. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective, controlled, evaluator-blinded study. Patients were treated with either a KTP or PDL with 1-3 sessions at intervals of 6-8 weeks. A follow-up visit was scheduled on Week 6 post-treatment...

Aluminium, the third most abundant element in the earth's crust, was long considered virtually innocuous to humans but has gained importance in the recent past. Aluminium is ubiquitous in the environment, with various sources of exposure like cosmetics, the food industry, occupational industries, the medical field, transport and electronics. Aluminium finds its utility in various aspects of dermatology as an effective haemostatic agent, anti-perspirant and astringent. Aluminium has a pivotal role to play in wound healing, calciphylaxis, photodynamic therapy and vaccine immunotherapy with diagnostic importance in Finn chamber patch testing and confocal microscopy...

Background Acne scars are one of the most common sequelae of inflammatory acne. It commonly affects adolescents and young adults and hence is associated with significant psychological morbidity. It is historically resistant to oral as well as surgical modalities. In the last two decades, ablative lasers (fractional or otherwise) have proven to be effective in management of acne scars. Some studies have proven the efficacy of platelet rich plasma in reducing the adverse effects and improving the efficacy of lasers...

INTRODUCTION: Vitiligo is a common depigmenting skin disorder. This work is performed to systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of fire needles combined with 308 nm excimer laser therapy in treating vitiligo. METHODS: We searched the PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CNKI, Wanfang, and VIP databases. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on fire needles combined with 308 nm excimer laser therapy with 308 nm excimer laser therapy alone for vitiligo were included...

INTRODUCTION: Multicentric Castleman's disease (MCD) with cutaneous involvement has rarely been discussed in dermatologic literature, with few reports. Cutaneous lesions in MCD may induce deep scars, causing a significant impact in the daily life of the patients. The treatment of Castleman's disease (CD) is usually a challenge, especially in case of cutaneous involvement. CASE PRESENTATION: We report the case of a 35-year-old Caucasian man with a 3-year-old history of MCD with cutaneous involvement that we treated with a combined therapy characterized by siltuximab and 1,927 nm fractional laser...

BACKGROUND: Skin aging can be observed at various levels in the epidermis, dermis, and dermo-epidermal junction. Reducing the cosmetic effects of skin aging in the facial region is a widespread demand due to common aesthetic concerns. Consequently, many injectable products on the market promise antiaging effects and cosmetic improvements. We aimed to evaluate the cosmetic efficacy of a high molecular weight sodium hyaluronate and amino acids mixture for the facial region using morphometric analysis...

BACKGROUND: Exposure to environmental stressors like particulate matter (PM) and ultraviolet radiation (UV) induces cutaneous oxidative stress and inflammation and leads to skin barrier dysfunction and premature aging. Metals like iron or copper are abundant in PM and are known to contribute to reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. AIMS: Although it has been suggested that topical antioxidant may be able to help in preventing and/or reducing outdoor skin damage, limited clinical evidence under real-life exposure conditions have been reported...

BACKGROUND: The human lip vermilion, also known as the red lip, is important to the quality of life and has long attracted the attention of cosmetic researchers. However, there is limited existing literature on the physiological characteristics and age-related alterations in the human vermilion. OBJECTIVE: We aim to provide an overview of the physiological characteristics and age-related alterations in the human vermilion. METHODS: This article is a result of previous research...

OBJECTIVE: Salicylic acid (SA) has been used for treatment of acne of different severity levels. However, there are few researches about the safety and efficacy for treatment of mild to moderate acne, and the improvement of the skin condition by using 2% supramolecular salicylic acid (SSA) compared to Davuwen Adapaline gel. METHODS: A multicenter, randomized, assessor-blind and parallel-controlled study was conducted. A total of 500 patients (trial group: 249, control group: 251) with mild to moderate (grade I-II) facial acne vulgaris were recruited in this study over a 16-week trial period...

BACKGROUND: Pigmented lesions are largely benign and may lead to extreme distress. Various light and lasers may be used to treat pigmentation, often Q-switched lasers are considered the method of choice, while intense pulsed light (IPL) devices may offer a less invasive treatment with a shorter downtime. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a narrowband IPL module for the treatment of pigmented lesions. METHODS: A retrospective study of 20 patients with pigmented lesions underwent treatment with an IPL module...

BACKGROUND: IPL devices emit a wide range of wavelengths that can be absorbed by different chromophores in the skin. Selective destruction of a specific chromophore with minimal side effects is controlled by wavelength, pulse duration, and fluence. AIM: This study aims to evaluate the treatment of vascular and pigmented lesions using narrow-band Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) with Advanced Fluorescence Technology (AFT), which offers more efficient energy usage per pulse to increase safety, and improve clinical outcomes...

BACKGROUND: Keloids are benign proliferative scars that form as a result of dysregulated growth and collagen deposition in response to cutaneous injury. Laser therapies have emerged as promising options for the treatment of keloids, with performance varying by laser type and lesion characteristics. PURPOSE: To assess the combined continuous wave and repetitive fractionated CO2 laser treatment of keloids. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of 22 cases of keloid scars treated with combined CO2 laser modes...

BACKGROUND: The use of non-ablative fractionated lasers for skin rejuvenation has been proven to be effective in improving skin texture, and has become popular due to minimal wounding, significantly shorter recovery times and decreased adverse effects. OBJECTIVE: To retrospectively analyze improvement in skin texture in healthy women aged over 18 years with Fitzpatrick skin types II-IV. METHODS: Participants received three facial and/or neck treatments with the 1570-nm fractional scanning diode laser at 1-month intervals...

BACKGROUND: Scarring is one of the most prevalent long-term complications of acne vulgaris and has cosmetic, psychological, and social burdens. Contemporary management programs integrate multiple modalities to best address the multiple factors underlying their development and persistence. This work assessed the impact of sequential multimodal laser therapy on acne scar geometrics and texture. METHODS: Adult patients (n = 16) with Fitzpatrick skin type II-IV and presenting with facial acne scars, underwent three combination ablative (CO2 ), and nonablative (1570 nm) laser treatment sessions at two-month intervals...