Non-Ablative Fractional 1940-nm Diode Laser for Skin Resurfacing and Treatment of Benign Pigmented Lesions

Background

The non-ablative 1940-nm laser induces controlled thermal damage at superficial depths without ablating the epidermis.

Objective

We evaluated a new 1940-nm fractional diode laser for improving pigmentation and skin texture.

Materials and Methods

Participants with mild to severe benign pigmented lesions received up to three laser treatments. Blinded evaluation of randomized pretreatment versus 1-month posttreatment photos was conducted by three independent dermatologists to identify the correct posttreatment image and assess pigmentation on a 5-point scale (0 = 0% improvement, 4 = 75%–100% improvement) and skin texture improvement.

Results

Fifty-four subjects (50 females; Fitzpatrick skin types I–IV) with pigmented lesions on the face or body underwent a total of 172 treatments. Blinded evaluation of 45 photography sets resulted in a 91% success rate of correct identification of posttreatment photos with a mean pigmentation improvement score of 2.0 (p < 0.05) and improvement in skin texture for 62% of treated areas. Mild to moderate edema (70%) and erythema (88%) were observed immediately posttreatment. Trace melasma recurrence in three subjects and one case of mild rash resolved during the study.

Conclusion

Non-ablative fractional 1940-nm diode laser skin resurfacing is safe and effective at improving overall skin quality and treating pigmentation after 2–3 treatments. Long-term follow-up of clinical outcome is warranted.