ABSTRACT
Background@#Fractional picosecond lasers is effective for the treatment of wrinkles or acne scars. @*Objective@#To investigate the safety and efficacy of treatment with a fractional 1,064-nm picosecond laser with a diffractive optic element for facial wrinkles and acne scars. @*Methods@#This prospective open-labeled trial comprised 22 subjects with facial wrinkles or acne scars. Subjects received three laser treatments with a fractional 1,064-nm picosecond laser at 3-week intervals. The efficacy and safety were evaluated at every visit and 2 months after the final treatment (14 weeks from the first treatment session). Global photographic assessments were performed by three blinded dermatologists and the subjects. Skin profilometry was performed using three-dimensional digital photographs; viscoelasticity was measured. @*Results@#The overall mean global improvement scores assessed by the dermatologists at weeks 3, 6, and 14, were 1.8±1.46, 2.5±1.88, and 3.5±1.84, respectively, and those assessed by the subjects were 2.7±2.08, 4.1±2.24, and 5.0±2.52, respectively. Skin profilometry showed significant improvements in the skin wrinkles, texture, depressions, and pores. The gross elasticity and skin firmness significantly improved by 10.96% and 9.04%, respectively. The major adverse reactions were erythema, pruritus, and petechiae, which disappeared within 2∼3 days. @*Conclusion@#The fractional 1,064-nm picosecond laser is an effective and safe therapeutic modality for skin rejuvenation.
ABSTRACT
Background@#Fractional picosecond lasers is effective for the treatment of wrinkles or acne scars. @*Objective@#To investigate the safety and efficacy of treatment with a fractional 1,064-nm picosecond laser with a diffractive optic element for facial wrinkles and acne scars. @*Methods@#This prospective open-labeled trial comprised 22 subjects with facial wrinkles or acne scars. Subjects received three laser treatments with a fractional 1,064-nm picosecond laser at 3-week intervals. The efficacy and safety were evaluated at every visit and 2 months after the final treatment (14 weeks from the first treatment session). Global photographic assessments were performed by three blinded dermatologists and the subjects. Skin profilometry was performed using three-dimensional digital photographs; viscoelasticity was measured. @*Results@#The overall mean global improvement scores assessed by the dermatologists at weeks 3, 6, and 14, were 1.8±1.46, 2.5±1.88, and 3.5±1.84, respectively, and those assessed by the subjects were 2.7±2.08, 4.1±2.24, and 5.0±2.52, respectively. Skin profilometry showed significant improvements in the skin wrinkles, texture, depressions, and pores. The gross elasticity and skin firmness significantly improved by 10.96% and 9.04%, respectively. The major adverse reactions were erythema, pruritus, and petechiae, which disappeared within 2∼3 days. @*Conclusion@#The fractional 1,064-nm picosecond laser is an effective and safe therapeutic modality for skin rejuvenation.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Balneotherapy, although not a well-established treatment, has been used for dermatologic diseases from ancient to modern times. However, there is little knowledge regarding the current awareness of balneotherapy in dermatologic patients and dermatologists. OBJECTIVE: To understand the current situation of balneotherapy, we first evaluated the utilization and awareness of balneotherapy among dermatology outpatients and dermatologists. METHODS: A written questionnaires were completed by 183 outpatients who visited the Department of Dermatology at a University Hospital. Online questionnaires were completed by 37 dermatologists. RESULTS: Only a small percentage of the outpatients used thermal springs/spas for therapeutic purposes. On the contrary, 93% of them used it for leisure and rest. Most outpatients thought the cleanliness of water is the most important factor in thermal springs/spas. Both outpatients (81%) and dermatologists (81%) regarded balneotherapy as a medically unestablished folk remedy. Though regarded as a folk remedy, almost all outpatients (98%) thought that balneotherapy helps improve general health problems, such as fatigue and skin diseases, or conditions related to blood circulation, pain, and joint/muscle. Participants thought that dermatology and rehabilitation medicine can be connected to balneotherapy. Although they thought that balneotherapy can improve general health, most dermatologists (70%) mentioned that it is difficult to judge the efficacy of balneotherapy owing to the lack of sufficient evidence. CONCLUSION: Although not yet considered as a confirmative therapeutic modality owing to the lack of medical verification, there is positive recognition and outlook for the effect of balneotherapy in Korea. To offer precise information to patients, more attention from dermatologists would be needed to confirm its actual efficacy.