Top 5 laser developments in 2015

Study results finding that combination therapy including a 308-nm excimer laser, topical tacrolimus and short-term systemic corticosteroids was effective for treating patients with segmental vitiligo was 2015’s most-read article in Healio.com/Dermatology related to laser treatment.

Other widely read articles included research presented at meetings finding the effectiveness of pulsed-dye laser combined with radiofrequency energy in treating port wine stains, and skin peels prior to laser treatment in darker skin types to lighten the pigment in scars:

Combined excimer laser, topical tacrolimus treatment may be effective therapy for segmental vitiligo

Combination therapy including a 308-nm excimer laser, topical tacrolimus and short-term systemic corticosteroids was effective for treating patients with segmental vitiligo, according to recently published study results.

Researchers in Korea retrospectively studied the medical records and photographs of 159 patients with segmental vitiligo (SV) who were treated with combination therapy of 308-nm excimer laser, topical tacrolimus and short-term systemic corticosteroids for more than 3 months. Read more

Patients with hidradenitis suppurativa satisfied with CO2 laser evaporation treatment

Patients treated with carbon dioxide laser evaporation for hidradenitis suppurativa reported satisfaction with the procedure despite a more than 29% recurrence rate of lesions, according to study results.

Researchers in Copenhagen, Denmark, interviewed 58 patients with hidradenitis suppurativa treated with CO2 laser evaporation by phone or in person regarding recurrence and satisfaction after a mean of 25.7 months. Read more

Solta Medical launches laser hair removal device

Solta Medical announced in September the introduction of the Clear + Brilliant pélo laser in the United States for permanent hair reduction.

Sabrina Fabi

“The 808nm wavelength allows me to treat a range of Fitzpatrick skin types, and the cooling crystal protects the epidermis while doing so,” Sabrina Fabi, MD, a San Diego-based dermatologist, stated in the release. Read more

Study: Combined pulsed-dye laser, radiofrequency effectively treats recalcitrant port wine stains

SAN FRANCISCO — Pulsed-dye laser combined with radiofrequency energy was effective in treating port wine stains that were resistant to pulsed-dye laser treatment alone, according to late-breaking research presented at the American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting.

“In a subset of patients with uniform lesions, we found that the degree of blanching of port wine stains [PWS] was greater with the combined radiofrequency [RF] plus pulsed-dye laser [PDL] than with pulsed-dye laser alone — the current gold-standard treatment,” researcher, Yoon-Soo Cindy Bae, MD, told Healio.com/Dermatology. Read more

Peels prime darker skin types prior to laser treatment for acne scars

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Shehnaz Arsiwala, MD, of Prince Aly Khan Hospital, Mumbai, India, discussed the use of skin peels prior to laser treatment in darker skin types to lighten the pigment in scars and prepare the skin for laser treatment during a presentation at the World Congress of Dermatology.

Shehnaz Arsiwala

“Managing acne scars in dark skin types 3 to 5 demands aggressive priming before optimal laser resurfacing parameters are used and intervention priming with chemical peels before lasers, [forms] a bridging link to enhance the results,” Arsiwala told Healio.com/Dermatology. Read more