Treatment of Facial Acne Scars in Asian Skin With the Single-spot, 2940-nm Er:YAG Dual-mode Laser

Modalities for the treatment of atrophic facial acne scars have been studied extensively. One, an erbium:yttrium-aluminum garnet (Er:YAG) laser device that generates both short, ablative pulses of high fluence and long, coagulative pulses of low fluence, has been shown to achieve tissue contraction, control intraoperative bleeding and deliver energy quickly and uniformly. The investigators were able to achieve significant depth and ablation with repetitive pulses at the same site and remove the epidermis with a single pass. Subsequent studies showed that facial acne scars of patients with dark skin types could be treated with a similar device. This report reviews the development of the Er:YAG laser and the preliminary results of a study in which moderate-to-severe facial acne scars of 180 Asian patients (skin types III–IV) were treated successfully with a dual-mode Er:YAG laser device.