A long-term follow-up study of laser treatment of photoaging in Asian skin has shown the rejuvenating effects to persist out to three years.
The study looked at treatment with a 755 nm picosecond alexandrite laser (PSAL) in conjunction with a diffractive focus lens array (DLA)
In a March 17, 2021 press release from the American Society for Laser Medicine & Surgery, the authors of the study note there has been a lack of high-grade evidence-based studies regarding skin rejuvenation using PSAL with a DLA. In particular, its long-term efficacy has not previously been confirmed.
The use of the DLA can further stimulate the production of collagen and elastin, according to the release.
This research, published online ahead of print in Lasers in Surgery and Medicine (Feb. 19, 2021), is the first prospective, split-face, self-controlled comparative study investigating the long-term efficacy and safety of PSAL with a DLA system for treating photoaging in Asian skin.
In the study, 10 patients received 10 treatments at two‐week intervals. One side of each patient's face was randomly selected for treatment. Two blinded physicians evaluated patient photographs at 1, 3, 6, and 36 months after the final treatment. The photographs were evaluated for four clinical indicators of photoaging, specifically dyschromia, skin texture, skin laxity and rhytids.
Dyschromia was improved on the treatment side relative to the control side at the 3- and 6-month follow-up visits and skin texture was improved at the 6-month visit. At 36 months, the degree of photoaging had increased on the control side, while improvements seen on the treated side were maintained for dyschromia, skin texture and rhytids.
The study was conducted by a team from the Department of Dermatology and Department of Laser and Aesthetic Medicine at Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine in Shanghai, China.