Combination of fractional QSRL and IPL for melasma treatment in Chinese population.

BACKGROUND: Melasma is the most common and distressing pigmentary disorder presenting to dermatology clinics. Various treatment protocols for melasma have been suggested in the previous literature and applied in various clinical settings. However, no satisfactory therapy has been widely accepted. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficiency and safety of a combination treatment with fractional Q-switched ruby laser (QSRL) and intense pulsed light (IPL) for melasma in Chinese population. METHODS: Fifty-three Chinese melasma patients were enrolled in this study. Each patient underwent 2 courses of treatments at 2-week interval. One course was composed of 3 successive sessions of 694-nm fractional QSRL at intervals of two weeks followed by one IPL. The efficacy was evaluated by non-invasive measurements and subjective assessments. The adverse effects were recorded. RESULTS: Mean melanin index (MI) and erythema index (EI) significantly decreased from 216.1 and 381.8 pre-treatment to 167.8 and 310.3 post-treatment, respectively. Mean melasma area and severity index (MASI) decreased dramatically from 14.66 before treatment to 5.70 after the final treatment. These values remained at low levels at 3-month follow-up. The percentage of patients who achieved moderate or significant improvements was 73.6%. Adverse effects of QSRL and IPL were minimal. CONCLUSION: The combination treatment of fractional QSRL and IPL would be a promising modality for managing melasma in Chinese patients.

A Split-Face Study of Dual-Wavelength Laser on Neck and Facial Port-Wine Stains in Chinese Patients.

BACKGROUND: Although pulsed dye laser (PDL) has long been regarded as the gold standard in treating port-wine stain (PWS), advanced PWS with deeper coloration may display resistance because of limited penetration depth of 585 or 595-nm light. Recently, a dual-wavelength laser system has been reported to achieve pronounced fading in many patients. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a dual-wavelength laser device in treatment of neck and facial PWS in a direct side-by-side comparison. METHODS: Sixteen Chinese patients with neck and/or facial PWSs were enrolled in the study. All lesions were randomly divided into two area, treated area and adjacent untreated area. Five successive treatments using a dual-wavelength laser system (595-nm PDL combined with 1,064-nm Nd:YAG laser) were delivered on treated areas at 4- to 6-week intervals. The adjacent area was not treated as self control. Two blinded dermatologists evaluated the clinical changes by comparing the before and after photos. Erythema index (EI) values were measured with a non-invasive instrument. RESULTS: After five sessions of treatment, over 62.5% (10/16) patients achieved more than 50% (moderate or significant) improvement. The efficacy maintained at the 3-month follow-up visit. The values of EI on treated area showed a significant decrease. Adverse effects of treated area were limited. CONCLUSION: Using this split-face module, the dual-wavelength laser system is proved to be effective and well tolerated in treating neck and facial PWSs in Chinese patients. Adverse effects were minimal and acceptable.