Treatment of periorbital and perioral wrinkles with fractional Er:YAG laser: What are the effects of age, smoking, and Glogau stage?

Abstract

Dynamic and static wrinkling are observed on the facial skin as a result of aging. Previously, it was showed that fractional Er:YAG laser was effective in the treatment of facial wrinkles. The aims of this study are to determine the effects of age, Glogau stage, and smoking status on the treatment efficacy of fractional Er:YAG laser; and to compare the success of laser treatment on periorbital wrinkles with perioral wrinkles. Periorbital and perioral wrinkles of the same patient were treated with fractional Er:YAG laser (2940nm) for 4 sessions with monthly intervals. Treatment parameters were affluence of 1.5J, a spot size of 7mm, and a frequency of 5Hz. Treatment efficacy was evaluated by a blinded physician evaluation scale and patient satisfaction scale 2months after the final treatment session. Fifteen patients completed the study. The mean age of the patients was 42.8years. The blinded physician evaluation of the improvement in the periorbital wrinkles decreased (P=.034) and the patient satisfaction in perioral wrinkles decreased (P=.049) with increasing age. The relationship between smoking and patient satisfaction in the treatment of periorbital wrinkles was also statistically significant (P=.014). No difference in terms of treatment efficacy was found between periorbital and perioral regions. Fractional Er:YAG laser (2940nm) is equally successful in the treatment of periorbital and perioral wrinkles. The treatment success decreases with smoking and increasing age.