Laser Treatment Effective at Healing Scars

With numerous medical and technological advances, scientists across the world are finding new ways to treat and even prevent certain skin conditions. Yet a recent study shows that current laser therapy approaches often prove a safe and effect way to heal abnormal wounds or skin abrasions. 

Study findings showed a 70 percent success rate with laser treatment for excessive scars. 

According to researchers, they looked at 28 well-designed clinical trails that used various medical lasers for two types of excessive scarring: hypertrophic scarring and keloids. Both are abnormal tissue responses that lead to raised and thickened areas of scarring, resulting in cosmetic and sometimes functional problems.

Background information from the study notes that hypertrophic scars are limited to the intially injured area, and most of the studies were evaluated based on this type of skin condition. 
Researchers examined data from more than 900 patients who showed high success rates with the laser treatment. The study's findings showed that targeted scars that were less than one month old had a similar success rate excessive scarring. 

The responses appeared best with two specific lasers: the 585/595 nm pulsed-dye laser (PDL) and the 532 nm laser. (The figures in nanometers [nm] indicate the wavelength of the laser light used.) About two-thirds of the studies reviewed examined the 585/595 nm PDL; just three studies evaluated the 532 nm laser, according to background infromation from the study.

Some studies provided data on objective responses to laser treatment, reporting improvements on standard rating scales and measures of scar height and redness. Data from the PDL studies suggested that the best interval for repeated laser treatments was five to six weeks; PDL treatment appeared most effective in patients with fairer skin types.

More information regarding the study can be found via the journal American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).