Fractional Laser Photothermolysis in the Treatment of Skin Defects: Possibilities and Effectiveness

For skin defect treatment and rejuvenation the ablative laser skin resurfacing with a CO2 laser is widely applied in cosmetology and dermatology. However this treatment can result in the risk of undesirable side effects and requires a long-term recovery after the procedure. When non-ablative laser skin rejuvenation is used as an alternative, the level of safety is increased, however the efficacy of the procedure is considerably reduced. The use of fractional laser photothermolysis is a particularly important step in the development of laser technology for cosmetology and dermatology. Due to the creation of only microscopic areas of thermal damage under the laser exposure, this method results in safe, quick healing and complete recovery of the skin without any undesirable side effects. The review presented here illustrate the high efficacy of the application of both ablative and non-ablative fractional laser photothermolysis for wrinkles reduction, for general improvement of the skin appearance, for the abnormal pigmentation treatment, and the removal or appearance improvement of atrophic scars from acne as well as in areas of skin stretching (striae).