Rejuvenation of the aging face using fractional photothermolysis and intense pulsed light: a new technique.

Photoaging is an inevitable occurrence for people who have a fair skin type, who live in a sunny climate, and who enjoy the outdoors. In the past the remedies for this condition were limited to dermabrasion or chemical peeling. Both dermabrasion and chemical peels have hazards of their own. With phenol peels, cardiac and renal toxicity was real concern. There is an increasing demand for an effective and safe laser treatment that repairs photoaged skin. Two treatment modalities, ablative skin resurfacing (ASR), and nonablative dermal remodeling (NDR), have been developed to address this demand. All currently available laser treatments, however, exhibit significant problems, and these laser systems typically operate safely and effectively only over a narrow, patient-dependent treatment range. This study aimed to analyze a new protocol of fractional rejuvenation and intense pulsed light for skin rejuvenation regarding its efficacy, safety, and complications. Twenty-nine patients (27 women and 2 men), age ranging from 40 to 73 years, answered the questionnaire and were included in the study. The use of intense pulsed light after the fractional rejuvenation allows us to enhance the effects of this new procedure especially in skin pigmentation disorders and telangiectasia and to continue to stimulate the deep dermal component.