Ablative Fractionated CO₂ Laser Resurfacing for the Face and Neck

Abstract

Introduction: There has been little information reported on the use of fractionated CO2 laser resurfacing of the neck. We describe our initial experience with conservative treatment on the neck with concurrent treatment to the face. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed all cases of full-face and neck ablative fractionated CO2 laser resurfacing at our institution performed for the treatment of photodamage. Results: Eighteen consecutive patients were included with at least 3 months of follow-up. All neck settings were lower than the face settings. Eleven patients were treated with a 120μ spot size and 7 patients with a 300μ spot size. Average time of reepithelialization was 5 to 7 days for the full face and 7 to 14 days for the neck. Similarly for erythema resolution, patients reported an average of 4 weeks for improvement versus 6 weeks for the neck area. Two patients reported being dissatisfied with the procedure, and all others were happy with neck results. Complications included 1 case of herpes simplex virus reactivation with perioral lesions, 3 cases of postinflammatory hyperpigmentation of the face, and 1 case of postinflammatory hyperpigmentation with persistent erythema of the neck. Conclusions: Fractionated CO2 laser treatment to the neck involved delayed healing times despite the use of lower laser settings.

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