title: A Chinese experience of fractional ultrapulsed CO₂laser for skin rejuvenation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The ablative fractional CO₂ laser has been successfully used in treating photoaged skin in the Caucasian population. However, its application in Asian skin has not been widely reported. The purpose of this study is to observe the efficacy and safety of the protocol 'ActiveFX' for photodamaged facial skin in Chinese patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A non-sequential fractional ultrapulsed CO₂ laser with specific settings is used in addition to a new computer pattern generator (CPG). Twenty patients received a single-session, single-pass, ablative fractional treatment on a split face. The patients were evaluated at baseline, and 1 and 3 months (M1, M3) after the treatment using a quartile grading scale. They were also asked to assess their overall satisfaction using a 4-point scale. The improvement of the coarse wrinkles was also quantitatively analyzed with a 3D in vivo imaging system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At M1 and M3, the blinded investigator rated global improvement as 2.8 ± 0.95 and 3.00 ± 0.73, which was consistent with the patients' assessment (2.55 ± 0.83 at M1 and 3.15 ± 0.88 at M3). The roughness analysis (Rz) demonstrated a significant decrease in periorbital wrinkles (p < 0.0001). Minimal and reversible adverse side effects and rapid healing were noted.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Non-sequential fractional ultrapulsed CO₂ laser resurfacing (ActiveFX) is considered an excellent treatment modality for photodamaged Chinese facial skin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China.
authors.forename: Yuan-Hong
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: John Z S
authors.initials: JZ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Hua-Chen
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hong-Hui
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Tian-Hua
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Yuan-Yuan
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Guang-Hui
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Xing-Hua
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Hong-Duo
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Michael H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Gold
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People; D002681:China; D019583:Dose Fractionation, Radiation; D005145:Face; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy; D054020:Lasers, Gas; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011897:Random Allocation; D012060:Rejuvenation; D015595:Skin Aging / Q000528:radiation effects*