Skin Contraction following Erbium:YAG Laser Resurfacing

background. Resurfacing the skin with deep chemical peels, dermabrasion, or lasers tightens the skin via dermal remodeling. The erbium (Er):YAG laser is a new laser for resurfacing and it removes lesional tissue efficiently with minimal residual thermal damage. In this paper, I present the first published study, to my knowledge, documenting and quantifying the cutaneous contraction following Er:YAG laser resurfacing of human skin. objective. To document and measure the cutaneous contraction resulting from Er:YAG laser resurfacing. methods. Using lentigos as skin markers, square areas on human forearm skin were resurfaced with the Er.YAG laser. The distance between these skin markers was measured before, immediately after, at 3 days, and weekly for 16 weeks after laser surgery. results. After two to three passes with the Er.YAG laser, there was an immediate 4% linear tightening of the skin, which persisted at 3 days, increased to 8% at 1 week, was 11% at 2 and 4 weeks, 13% at 6 weeks, and 14% at 16 weeks. conclusion. Er:YAG laser resurfacing produces measurable cutaneous contraction. This phenomenon may contribute to the positive clinical tightening of human skin following Er:YAG laser resurfacing.

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