Evaluation of the safety and efficacy of a fractional picosecond 1064nm laser for post-acne erythema in adult Chinese patients.

Abstract

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of fractional 1064nm picosecond Nd:YAG laser (FPNYL) in the treatment of post-acne erythema (PAE) of adult Chinese. A total of 22 patients received 1 session of treatment and were followed up at the eighth week. Primary outcomes were measured by the Clinician erythema assessment scale (CEAS). Secondary outcomes included a global aesthetic improvement scale (GAIS) and patients' assessment of satisfaction on a five-point scale. Pain scores and adverse effects were also evaluated. Twenty-two patients with Fitzpatrick skin types III and IV were enrolled in the study and completed all treatments and follow-up visits. The mean CEAS scores fell from 2.74±0.80 to 1.95±0.75 (p<0.05). The mean GAIS of PAE improvement was 2.46±0.68. Erythema percentile scores by VISIA increased from 32.63±7.0 to 45.75±11.45 (t=5.442, p=0). The patient satisfaction score was 1.86±1.17. The pain scores were 3.27±1.17 for the FPNYL treatment (varied from 2 to 6). There were moderate erythema and oedema, which last for 3.84±0.78 days. There were overall 68.18% (15/22) patients who felt pruritus in different degrees and 27.27% patients who encountered acne eruptions (white head type). No scar, hyperpigmentation or hypopigmentation was found. Treatment with fractional 1064nm picosecond Nd:YAG laser is effective and safe for PAE of Chinese patients.