PROMOTION
TREATING ACNE SCARS: AcuPulse MultiMode
Francesca de Angelis discusses a unique technology to treat skin scarred as a result of acne
accompanied by pigment alterations1 F
FRANCESCA DE ANGELIS, MD, Plastic Surgeon, Naples, Italy; Specialist in Plastic Surgery. DE.A. CENTER, Laser & Plastic Surgery Clinic, www.
dea-center.com; and Head of Plastic Surgery Department at Clinica Mediterranea, www.
clinicamediterranea.it
ACIAL SCARRING RESULTING FROM
severe acne is a common skin condition that affects individuals of all skin types. Acne scars have multiple morphologies, including ice-pick scars, boxcar scars and rolling scars, and are occasionally . Therefore, acne
scars often require different technical treatment approaches to achieve an optimal cosmetic outcome, at both textural and pigment level. Treatments such as dermabrasion, chemical peels, punch excision, subcision and others have been used. Yet for the past 15 years, with different levels of performance, the mainstays of acne scar therapy have been non-ablative and ablative lasers. The latter achieves significant results but patients will experience a prolonged healing period and occasional complications, while the former has a lack of sufficient efficacy2–5
. Newer laser technologies with fractional delivery
the gold standard in this field, and have been used successfully and safely in the treatment of acne scars, with good results in medium-depth scars. This technique increases efficacy as compared with non-ablative resurfacing, and concomitantly, has a faster recovery compared with complete ablative resurfacing6–11
.
treatment, ‘Combo’ mode, which combines both deep and superficial ablation and coagulation using the AcuPulse™ system, is now available from Lumenis. The new Combo mode gives both physicians and patients the ability to conjugate the well-known results of ablative lasers with a short recovery time and a low incidence of adverse effects. In this article, the author reports on two cases of
A new MultiMode™ fractional form of CO2
treatment with the new Combo mode (shallow and deep impact) of the AcuPulse™ system for acne scarring.
Figure 1 52-year-old female, skin type III. (A) Before
68 ❚
treatment and (B) at 6-month follow-up. Images published courtesy of Dr Francesca de Angelis
September 2012 |
prime-journal.com laser
performance have advanced the treatment of acne scarring significantly, as they are able to reach the dermal layer, yet have a relatively low residual heating profile, and accordingly a low side-effect profile. Ablative CO2
lasers with fractional delivery are considered to be
Methods Two subjects (Figures 1 and 2) presenting mild to severe acne scars were treated during a single, dual-mode session, using the AcuPulse Combo mode. Both patients were treated with the Deep mode (12 mJ, density 25%) on each individual scar, ensuring that both the scar and a margin of 1–2 mm healthy skin around it were included. Each individual scar was then immediately treated with a single pass of Superficial mode on the entire scarred area (100 mJ, density 60% on cheeks, temples and chin; 70 mJ, density 40% on forehead and face–neck junction). Subjects were pre-treated with antibiotics, antiviral and blanching agents. Post-treatment, patients were instructed to repeatedly apply Vaseline for at least 5 days, and then to use sunblock of no less than 50 SPF when outdoors, for at least 90 days after the treatment.
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