Presidential Greeting - American Society for Laser Medicine and ...

treatment associated with oral antibiotics. Intervention: V0: PDL
(Vbeam, Candela 1 ) treatment on one hemi face (randomly
assigned) (10 mm, 10 milliseconds, 10 J/cm 2 , DCD 30/30). V1: 2
weeks after the first PDL session 1,450 nm diode laser
(Smoothbeam, candela 1 ) was done on the entire face (6 mm, 14 J/
cm 2 , DCD 40). Three sessions of diode laser were performed (one
per month). A blinded evaluation on standardized pictures was
done by an independent physician at each session and at 1, 6 and
12 months follow-up. The main criterion of evaluation was the
count of acne lesions. Pain and satisfaction of the patients were
evaluated on a visual analogical scale.
Results: Twenty patients were included. Four were lost in followup.
The mean count of lesions were 75 before treatment, and 40,
29 and 23 at 1, 6 and 12 months follow-up, respectively (P < .001).
The mean pain during treatment was 6.9/10 and the satisfaction
was 6.6/10. No significant difference was observed in term of
efficacy and pain when diode and diode þ PDL laser treated sides
were compared. Side effects were limited to three postinflammatory
hyperpigmentation, all in phototype IV patients.
Conclusion: The non-ablative 1,450 nm diode laser is effective in
treating severe or refractory acne with an improvement
remaining for at least 12 months. Adding a PDL session before
diode treatment is not useful. Pain during treatment and postinflammatory
hyperpigmentation are the two main limitations of
this approach.
#122
FRACTIONAL ER:YAG LASER FOR ACNE SCARS
IN SKIN OF COLOR
Mukta Sachdev, Sunaina Hameed
Manipal Hospital; MS Skin Clinic, Bangalore, India
Background: Fractional photothermolysis is a new technique for
the treatment of acne scars, in which an array of microscopic
treatment zones (MTZ) is induced into the skin to stimulate a
therapeutic response deep in the dermis. Fractional ablative
lasers are more effective than non-ablative lasers, and safer than
ablative resurfacing lasers, especially in Indian skin.
Objective: To present a pilot study on the safety and efficacy of
fractional ablative Erbium:YAG laser in the treatment of acne
scars. The ECCA grading system for acne scars has been
employed, in order to achieve a more standardized assessment of
treatment efficacy.
Study: Thirty subjects in age group varying from 22 to 45 (mean
28.05), received 4–6 treatment sessions (mean 2.93) with
fractional ablative Er:YAG laser, for the correction of their acne
scars. Pre-treatment and end of treatment ECCA scores were
graded using photographic analysis. Subjects were also asked to
assess their own progress based on their before and after
photographs.
Results: All subjects showed an improvement in their ECCA
scores. The mean score after treatment significantly reduced from
183.75 to 134.25 with P < 0.001.
Conclusion: Fractional ablative Erbium:YAG laser is a safe,
effective and promising new modality for the treatment of acne
scars in skin of colour.
#123
American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery Abstracts 39
THE CLINICAL EFFICACY AND STATISTICAL
EVALUATION OF 150 ACNE SCARS BY
INSULATED MICRO-NEEDLING FRACTIONAL RF
TECHNOLOGY
Takashi Takahashi
Shibuya-ku, Japan
Background: We stared the treatment for acne scars and skin
tightening for Asian patients with RF technology called as
‘‘Insulated Micro-needling Fractional RF technology’’ since May of
2009 in Japan. We will report about the clinical evaluation of 150
acne scar patients.
Study: We evaluated by the photograph of baseline, 1 week after
and 4 weeks after the treatment and the questionnaire from the
patients. Some patients could be also evaluated their 3D structure
using the silicon replica method.
Results: One hundred forty out of the total of 150 patients were
satisfied or very much satisfied. Ten patients complained no
change. However, in fact, 6 out of those unsatisfied 10 have shown
adefinite change by photograph. No skin burn or PIH happened in
this study.
Conclusion: As the Insulated Micro-needling Fractional RF
technology can heat the target selectively and does not affect any
thermal damage to the surface of the skin, the downtime is
minimized comparing with the fractional laser system. And it will
be helpful for many indications with its selectivity of the depth
and the strength of the RF.
#124
LONG-TERM RESULTS OF AXILLARY HAIR
REMOVAL WITH A CONTINUOUSLY SCANNED
DIODE LASER AND A SPOT-TO-SPOT SCANNED
ALEXANDRITE LASER (EPICON-STUDY)
Uwe Paasch, Sonja Grunewald,
Marc Oliver Bodendorf, Alexander Zygouris,
Jan Christoph Simon
University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
Background: With an increasing request for permanent removal
of unwanted hair, new devices are generated in order to increase
quality and efficacy of laser epilation. A newly developed
continuously scanned 808 nm diode laser (Leda, Quantel Derma,
Germany) allows very fast treatments due to the unique
application of the laser beam. The EpiCon-Study compared a spotby-spot
scanned alexandrite laser (‘‘Arion’’, 755 nm, Quantel
Derma, Germany) with the continuously scanned diode laser for
axillary epilation (right vs. left axilla) in 31 patients (28 female, 3
male). After six laser treatments with 4–6 weeks intervals a
significant hair reduction was found in both axillae. The linear
scanned diode laser was significantly faster ( 20% of the time
consumption of the alexandrite laser), but more painful. Until now
no long-term results were available. In order to compare the longterm
effects of a newly developed continuously scanned diode
laser (808 nm) and a spot-to-spot scanned alexandrite laser
(755 nm), we present now the data of the 18-month follow-up visit
of the EpiCon-Study.
Study: A total of 10 out of the 31 patients that completed the
EpiCon-Study were available 18 months after the last laser
treatment. In concordance with the evaluation during the study,
again lens-enlarged photographs of the treated areas were taken
with a dermoscope (Trichoscan 1 , Foto Finder Systems GmbH,
Germany) and hair reduction was documented. In addition,
patients filled in a questionnaire regarding convenience and
efficacy of both laser systems.
Results: Eighteen months after the last laser epilation both
axillae showed still a comparable, significant hair reduction.
Compared to the pre-treatment visit of the 10 available patients
the mean axillary hair count was reduced down to 25.9%