Pulsed light for the treatment of keloidal and hypertrophic scars

Abstract

Background: Pulsed light (PL)is a non-coherent, non laser, filtered flashlamp, emitting a boardband visible light. PL has been reported to promote neo collagen and ordering of elastic fibers, however the efficacy of PL treatment of scars remains unknown Objective: To determine the effectiveness of PL treatment in keloidal and hypertrophic scars on the following parameters: scar height, erythema, pigmentation, pliability, and patient-self assessment. Methods: 51 patients with keloidal or hyperthrophic scars were enlisted. 13 sessions of PL-treatment were performed on each patient, once every two weeks. The lesions were devided into 2 segments, one segment was a control and the other was treated with PL by using energy fluence range = 2–7.5 J/cm2, wavelength spectrum = 500–1200 nm, pulse duration 35 milliseconds. Clinical improvement, including scar height, erythema, pigmentation and pliability, was evaluated before and after each treatment. Patient assessment based on sastisfaction in self-assessment. Results: Signicant improvements in scar height, pigmentation and pliability were noted in PL-treatment. There was no significant difference in erythema between the PL-treated and the control and most patients showed moderate satisfaction in self-assessment. Conclusions: PL is a new alternative treatment for keloids and hypertrophic scars. This study shows improvement of scars and keloids, including scar height, pigmentation, pliability and moderate satisfaction level, with relatively few adverse effects