Even on patients with darker skin types, the fractional CO2 laser can be an effective treatment for sun damage and acne scars.  According to a recent article in Cosmetic Surgery Times, the success of this treatment was discussed during the 2010 annual meeting of the American Society for Laser Medicine.

A study analyzed outcomes of 45 Brazilian patients who underwent laser skin resurfacing with the Lumenis DeepFX and ActiveFX treatment modes.

Aside from the (mostly positive) cosmetic outcomes, a large part of the study focused on avoidance of “pigmentary changes” in patients with dark skin types.  Previous studies had shown that when darker skin types were treated with fractional CO2 laser treatment, there was a relatively low occurrence of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.

In the Brazilian population, where sun damage is a prevalent condition, these findings are significant.  Here in Tulsa, the Lumenis laser can be used for a variety of similar therapies.

As mentioned in the article, sun damage and acne scars are a common indication for CO2 laser skin resurfacing.  But with multiple treatment modes provided through the Lumenis platform, even superficial conditions can be treated.  Using IPL or the YAG component, problems such as lesions, blemishes and minor textural irregularities can be reduced or eliminated.