Various methods have been used for scar prevention; however, the optimal method remains unclear. We investigated the efficacy of combinational intense pulsed light (IPL)/fractional erbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Er:YAG) laser treatment in early wound healing. This was a prospective, randomized, controlled split wound trial. Scars were divided into three sites: the combined IPL/fractional Er:YAG treatment, fractional Er:YAG laser treatment, and untreated control sites. Treatment was conducted in three sessions: at removal of stitches and after 4 and 8 weeks. Treatment efficacy was evaluated using the Patient Observer Scar Assessment Scale (POSAS) and Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS) scores. The erythema index (EI) and melanin index (MI) were measured. In the total POSAS score, the IPL/fractional Er:YAG site showed steady and significant improvement, in contrast to the other sites. At week 8, the combined treatment sites had better POSAS scores than the fractional Er:YAG laser alone sites (p = 0.001) and the control sites (p = 0.000). The effect of combinational treatment was maintained until the follow-up period by comparing the Er:YAG (p = 0.015) and control sites (p = 0.007). In terms of VSS scores, the IPL/fractional Er:YAG combined treatment sites had consistent improvement at week 8 (p = 0.005) and week 20 (p = 0.02) compared to that at week 4, while the other sites showed no such improvement. In conclusion, the combination of IPL and Er:YAG showed more favorable effects on scar prevention than Er:YAG or no treatment. IPL/Er:YAG therapy could be an effective and safe strategy in the early wound healing process for reducing scar formation.
Keywords: IPL; combinational therapy; fractional Er:YAG laser; scar.
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