[Controlled cosmetic dermal ablation in the facial region with the erbium:YAG laser].

The erbium: YAG laser (wavelength 2940 nm; pulse duration 0.350 ms; pulse energy 0.1-1.7 J) allows vaporization of very thin skin layers without scarring and minimal lateral thermal injury due to an extremely short pulse duration. It permits exact ablation of relatively large areas of facial skin. We report our results with 216 patients following treatment for different facial lesions (facial wrinkles, acne scars, syringomas, and circumscribed sebaceous gland hyperplasia) using a new erbium: YAG laser system. Good-to-excellent cosmetic results were obtained in these patients. Our findings show that the erbium: YAG laser is an elegant and promising new method for the treatment of facial lesions.