INTRODUCTION

The potential of a dual wavelength picosecond laser, as a new modality for treating photoaged skin, was investigated in this clinical study.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Subjects with bilateral mild-to-moderate facial wrinkling received four picosecond laser treatments, at 3-8 weeks apart, with a double-pass of both 532-nm and 1064-nm split-beam handpieces. Blinded evaluation of clinical photography, by two independent physicians, using the Fitzpatrick Elastosis Scale, was performed at 12 weeks after the fourth treatment.

RESULTS

Twenty subjects (19 females; mean age 55 ± 7 years, Fitzpatrick Skin Types II-IV) were treated. Blinded evaluation demonstrated 75% (15/20) of the treated faces had improvement of at least one point. Investigator assessments showed a 100% improvement rate in the appearance of wrinkles and a mean elastosis score (ES) improvement of 2.1 ± 0.8 points. Subject satisfaction rate was 74%. Treatments were associated with no to mild discomfort with a mean score of 3.7 ± 1.9 on a scale of 0 (no pain) to 10. Common treatment responses included erythema (98%) and edema (7.5%) that generally resolved within several hours of treatment.

CONCLUSION

In this study, picosecond laser treatments resulted in significant improvement in facial wrinkles. There were no complications with treatment and minimal downtime.