Skin Resurfacing with the Ultrapulse Carbon Dioxide Laser

BACKGROUND: The Ultrapulse carbon dioxide (CO2) laser has been shown to be a highly effective treatment for photodamaged skin including improvement of rhytides, precancerous and benign skin lesions, as well as superficial benign pigmented lesions. OBJECTIVE: We describe our experiences using the Ultapulse CO2 laser in treating 100 patients with different severities of photodamaged skin. METHODS: All patients had moderately or severely photodamaged skin and were selected for treatment with the Ultrapulse CO2 laser to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of this treatment. The patients were placed on a pretreatment regimen for 2-6 weeks prior to receiving treatment with the Ultrapulse CO2 laser. Patients were evaluated for pre- and posttreatment severity of photodamage. In addition, skin surface replicas were obtained in selected patients and evaluated by computer image analysis technology. RESULTS: At 1 month post-laser treatment, 68 patients received a moderate improvement, five patients achieved a marked improvement, and the remaining 27 patients showed minimal improvement. By 2 months post-laser treatment, 20 of the 27 patients who at 1 month showed only minimal improvement revealed a moderate to marked improvement from baseline. All the patients studied developed a transient erythema that lasted up to 6 weeks, and many of these patients showed a transient hyperpigmentation that persisted for up to 4 months. CONCLUSION: The Ultrapulse CO2 laser is confirmed as an effective treatment for skin resurfacing of photodamaged skin.