THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A NEODYMIUM (1064 NM) LASER AND FRACTIONAL PHOTOTHERMOLYSIS FOR THE CORRECTION OF THE ATROPHIC SCARS

Abstract

One of the challenging problems for modern cosmetology is the cosmetic correction of the cutaneous scars of the skin that arises in the first place from the high prevalence of this condition and the lack of reliable and safe methods for its treatment The application of laser technologies including selective laser therapy as the method of fractional photothermolysis and the use of a neodymium (1064 nm) laser is considered to be a promising approach to address this problem. The present study included 18 patients presenting with hormone-dependent atrophic scars. All the patients were assigned for the treatment by selective photothermolysis (at the rate of 2 sessions per each treatment course performed with a 4 week interval) and irradiation by the neodymium laser (at the rate of 6-8 sessions conducted after fractional photothermolysis). The use of combined laser therapy in patients with hormone-dependent atrophic scars produced a pronounced effect as evidenced by the improvement of the clinical picture and was accompanied by the 78.1% reduction of the symptom index according to the DISC symptom scale and the 76.5% improvement of the dermatology life quality index (DLQI). The use of the combined method for the correction of atrophic cutaneous scars helps to restore the epidermal-dermal and epidermal structures of the skin in the association with the 1.4-fold, 1.7-fold, and 1.6-fold increase in the thickness of the epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis respectively; simultaneously, the acoustic density of the tissues increased by 1.8 times which corresponded to the improvement of the ultrasound picture by almost 75% when estimated in accordance with the Vancouver scar scale.