CO2 lasers: practice opportunities beyond skin resurfacing

Ablative lasers have been used in dermatologic and aesthetic procedures for over two decades to treat a range of skin care concerns such as skin rejuvenation and wrinkle reduction. But today, thanks to superior Lumenis CO₂ laser technology, the opportunities to go beyond everyday procedures are far-ranging.

Laser treatment for skin tightening and wrinkles has become one of the top five treatments considered by patients, with laser therapy for skin tone achieving a satisfaction rate of 90% or higher.¹ It’s easy to understand why. As dermatologist Dr. Michael H. Gold summarizes, “Clinical evidence-based medicine has shown great success for these devices in improving the signs of photodamage, including fine lines and wrinkles, pigmentary dyschromias, and even skin laxity.” ²

Setting the standards in CO₂ lasers

Lumenis is seen as the market leader in the CO₂  category, offering two state-of-the-art CO₂ lasers: UltraPulse^® and AcuPulse™. Both are popular with practices, particularly for skin rejuvenation with fractional resurfacing.

He likes the unparalleled high peak power and speed of UltraPulse^®, saying “it can penetrate deeper than any aesthetic ablative CO₂ laser I’ve used” while with AcuPulse™ he has, at last, found a multimode system offering “versatility and power with safety in a compact design” and “the ability to effectively treat a number of the most common patient concerns”. Priced lower than the UltraPulse®, AcuPulse™ is an appealing versatile system for beginners and experts alike.

But skin rejuvenation isn’t the only opportunity for full ablative and fractional ablative treatments with Lumenis CO₂ lasers. Their power, precision and versatility make them the product of choice for a whole range of aesthetic and medical concerns ….

Medical and aesthetic opportunities

Scars

Dr. Waibel, dermatologist, believes the market for scars is bigger than any other market in lasers.³ “Almost everybody in the world has a scar, and most patients want those treated,” she says. “Scar revision can set you apart and augment your practice.”

Scars can never be made to be perfect, but their appearance can be improved significantly to become almost nonvisible, with lasers fast becoming the gold standard for scar improvement. Dr. Waibel cites Lumenis fractional ablative lasers as her mainstay for scar treatment, especially for hypertrophic burns and traumatic scars, and commonly uses UltraPulse^®.

She’s not alone. Dr. Matthias B. Donelan, of Massachusetts General Hospital, cannot now imagine treating burn scars without an UltraPulse^® laser. “It rehabilitates scars and decreases the need for major surgery,” he remarks. “I believe it’s the new standard of care in burn scar management.”

Acne scars

Facial scarring occurs to some degree in 90% to 95% of patients, with both sexes affected equally. ³ Acne scarring can lead to significant psychological distress. ³

Dr. Matteo Tretti Clementoni, plastic surgeon, maintains it is important for the patient to understand that acne scars can only be improved and not completely eradicated. He believes ablative fractional resurfacing using AcuPulse™ plays “a real important role” and enables the patient “to come back to social life quickly”. AcuPulse™ creates microscopic treatment zones (MTZ) to stimulate a wound healing response. Because the tissue surrounding each column is spared, ultimately resulting in rapid epidermal regeneration with reduced downtime and adverse reactions compared to treatment with traditional full ablative techniques. ⁴

Blepharoplasty

Eyelid surgery is performed by 90% of all plastic surgeons¹, requiring a tailored procedure and near perfect surgical outcome. With AcuPulse™ and UltraPulse®, Lumenis offers a complete laser blepharoplasty solution combining a precise incisional solution with complementary eyelid resurfacing.

Professor Alina Fratila praises UltraPulse^® for the way in which “the youthful, naturally firm appearance of the lower eyelid region can be restored, while ensuring that the optimal function of the eyelid mechanism is preserved”. ⁵

Stretch marks

Dr. Munavalli has found treating stretchmarks to be “bringing patients into the office”. He advocates, “To say that stretch marks are a popular complaint amongst patients in my practice is something of an understatement.”

Dr.Munavalli describes AcuPulse™ as “a small form factor device that packs a powerful punch” because the more aggressive settings it can offer yield more substantial results in fewer treatment sessions.

For further details about full ablative and fractional ablative opportunities with AcuPulse™ and UltraPulse® CO₂ lasers, please contact.

¹ The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 2018 statistics report

² AcuPulse™ with Combo Treatment Modality: Clinical Study of Patients with Skin of Color. Michael H. Gold, Md. Gold Skin Care Center and Tennessee Clinical Research Center Inc., TN, USA

³ UltraPulse^®: Expanding Options for Laser Scar Revision. Jill Waibel, MD

⁴ My approach to acne scars with fractional lasers. Matteo Tretti Clementoni, MD A4 PB-2006878 Rev A.pdf

⁵ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6w4KHadjZDM

UltraPulse^®, the most powerful CO₂ laser in medicine offers a range of treatment modes, including DeepFX™ for wrinkles, acne scars and other deep cosmetic lesions; ActiveFX™/MaxFX™ for full and fractional treatment of texture and pigment inconsistencies; ScaarFX™ for deep, thick lesions, and IncisionFX™ for clean, precise incisions.

AcuPulse™ is a versatile CO₂ laser with 10 built-in treatment modes. It can treat more than 30 FDA-cleared aesthetic indications, including sun damage, acne scars, blepharoplasty and moles, deploying a wide range of patterns, spot sizes, and dwell times. It can be used with the SurgiTouch™ scanner for full ablative resurfacing or along with the AcuScan120™ for fractional ablative resurfacing.

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