KISSIMMEE, FLA. – A microsecond 1,064-nm Nd:YAG laser was found to be effective for treating facial telangiectasias without the scarring and discomfort that can occur with millisecond pulse systems.
A prospective single-center study enrolled 20 patients aged 35-70 years with Fitzpatrick skin types I-III. After undergoing one treatment per month for 2 months with the 650-microsecond LightPod Neo 1,064-nm Nd:YAG laser (manufactured by Aerolase), the patients experienced significant, and even "dramatic," improvements in the appearance of facial telangiectasias on the nose and cheek, Dr. David J. Goldberg reported at the annual meeting of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery.
Dr. David J. Goldberg
"We saw significant improvements in the appearance of telangiectasia with minimal discomfort, presumably because of the microsecond pulse duration," said Dr. Goldberg, a dermatologist at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York.
The treatments were applied at a fluence of 199 J/cm2, a pulse duration of 650 microseconds, and a 2-mm spot size. The multisetting device was set at treatment level 6. Evaluation of results was based on clinical assessment of digital photographs and both patient and investigator assessment of the reduction in the size and appearance of telangiectasias based on a 5-point scale.
"Most people know that facial telangiectasias can be treated with a variety of wavelengths, and the 532-nm laser has traditionally been effective for small vessels," Dr. Goldberg said.
However, longer wavelength lasers, such as the 1,064-nm Nd:YAG with a millisecond pulse duration (3-30 milliseconds), which have also been used to treat larger vessels, are associated with "well-documented scarring and greater discomfort," he noted.
These adverse effects were not seen with the use of the microsecond system, he said, adding: "I think this is really the most important part of the study because of the previous documentation of problems with Nd:YAG laser systems for the treatment of patients with telangiectasias."
The study was supported by a research grant from Aerolase. Dr. Goldberg had no other disclosures to report.