Overview
Newer CO2 lasers that pulse or scan the beam can remove thin layers of skin with little heat damage to nearby tissue, but no published case series existed. The authors reviewed patients treated for wrinkles with a scanning CO2 laser between November 1994 and April 1995. They assessed results, healing time and complications from charts and photographs, and made recommendations on patient selection and treatment.
Findings
- 47 patients; wrinkles around the mouth (perioral), around the eyes (periorbital) and between the brows (glabellar).
- Retrospective chart and photo review, November 1994 to April 1995.
- Good to excellent cosmetic results in all areas studied.
- Redness after treatment in all patients, lasting 1 to 6 months.
- Other minor complications: contact dermatitis from topical products, temporary postinflammatory hyperpigmentation, milia.
- 1 patient had a first-time herpes simplex infection during healing and needed intravenous treatment.
- 1 patient had minor focal atrophy.
- No hypertrophic scarring or permanent pigment changes.
What it means for a patient
- Laser resurfacing treats fine to deep wrinkles of the skin surface, such as around the mouth and eyes.
- Expect redness after treatment: every patient in this study had it, for 1 to 6 months.
- A herpes infection can occur during healing, even as a first outbreak. Ask about preventive medicine.
- This is a small retrospective series. Results were judged from charts and photographs, with no comparison group.
Why this paper matters
The authors state no published series on these lasers existed before; this one reports results and side effects in 47 patients. The authors conclude it can safely improve or remove wrinkles around the mouth, eyes and brows. Cited 215 times (NIH iCite, 2026-09-25).
Terms
- CO2 laser resurfacing: a laser treatment that removes thin layers of skin so new skin grows.
- Char-free: without burned tissue left on the skin surface.
- Rhytides: wrinkles.
- Glabellar: the area between the eyebrows.
- Erythema: redness of the skin.
- Milia: small white cysts under the skin surface.
- Reepithelialization: regrowth of the outer skin layer after treatment.
- Focal atrophy: a small area of thinned skin.