ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Carbon dioxide laser resurfacing remains the gold standard for the treatment of photoaged skin. Today, however, fewer patients will tolerate the postoperative downtime associated with the use of this device. Fractional photothermolysis was designed to overcome the disadvantages associated with ablative resurfacing. Prototype fractional lasers (Fraxel, Reliant Technologies Inc.) have required the use of blue tracking dye to give evenly spaced microtreatment zones, and treatments are associated with moderate levels of discomfort because of microtreatment zone depths reaching nearly 1000 microm. Newer technologies have evolved that do not require tracking dye, and are less painful than older prototypes because microtreatment zones are more superficial (100 to 300 microm) than that of the Fraxel laser. Newer devices offer advances in treating facial rhytides and skin laxity through the use of 2 laser wavelengths (1320 nm/1440 nm) emitted sequentially through a specialized diffractive lens array that produces high-intensity microtreatment zones surrounded by deeper low level heating. OBSERVATIONS: One to 3 treatments with this combination fractional laser device were performed on 16 Caucasian females with static periocular rhytides or skin laxity affecting the nasolabial crease. There was a 3-week period between treatments. Improvement was noted in both areas after a small number of treatments. CONCLUSION: The technology behind fractional lasers is rapidly evolving, and new devices offer significant advances over older prototypes.
