Background: The flashlamp pulsed dye laser has been used in the treatment of rhytids.
Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of the long pulsed dye laser in the treatment of mild to moderate wrinkles in Asian patients.
Methods: Wrinkles on one half of the face in 10 subjects were treated with the long pulsed dye laser (595 nm, 10 mm spot size, 10 ms, 7 J/cm2, 40 ms spray, 40 ms delay, single-pass, 30% overlap) with the other side serving as a control. A total of three treatments were given at 2 monthly intervals. The following sites were treated: periorbital area, six patients; forehead, two patients; cheek, two patients. No preoperative anesthesia or postoperative treatment were used. Clinical photographs were taken before and after each treatment, and analysis was undertaken through photographic evaluation by non-treating physicians.
Results: At 2 months after the last treatment, the clinical improvement of rhytids was noted in all patients compared with baseline. Four subjects had mild improvement (< or = 25%), five had moderate improvement (26-50%) and one had marked improvement (51-75%). The periorbital area was more responsive to treatment compared with the other sites. No clinical changes were noted in the control areas. No adverse effects were reported except for transient mild erythema in two patients which lasted for up to an hour. Nine patients were somewhat satisfied with the treatment and one was highly satisfied. All wanted the other half of the face to be treated.
Conclusion: Treatment with a non-ablative 595 nm flashlamp pulsed dye laser can lead to mild to moderate clinical improvement in class I-II rhytids with minimal to no side effects in patients with darker skin types.