title: Treatment of atrophic facial acne scars with fractional Er:YAG laser in skin phototype III-IV: A pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fractional ablative lasers have recently been used for the treatment of skin scars. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of the fractional erbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Er:YAG) laser (2940 nm) in the treatment of skin scars.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 9 patients (8 female, 1 male) with Fitzpatrick skin types III and IV suffering from atrophic facial acne scars were treated with a fractional Er:YAG laser for 2-5 (mean 3.3) sessions 4-6 weeks apart. One independent investigator assessed the efficacy, using standardized photographs, before and 1 month after the last treatment. The patients' satisfaction rate was also evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The treatment was well tolerated by all patients without any anesthesia. The downtime was 2-3 days. All patients showed improvement in scars: excellent in 1, good in 1, and fair in 7 patients. Six patients were highly satisfied and 3 were satisfied with treatment. No adverse effect was noted.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A fractional Er:YAG laser can deliver an effective and minimally invasive treatment for acne scars.
authors.affiliation: a Center for Research and Training in Skin Diseases and Leprosy , Tehran University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Islamic Republic of Iran.
authors.forename: Alireza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Firooz
authors.affiliation: a Center for Research and Training in Skin Diseases and Leprosy , Tehran University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Islamic Republic of Iran.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rajabi-Estarabadi
authors.affiliation: a Center for Research and Training in Skin Diseases and Leprosy , Tehran University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Islamic Republic of Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Hassan
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Nassiri-Kashani
mesh_terms: D000152:Acne Vulgaris / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D002921:Cicatrix / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D053844:Lasers, Solid-State / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014945:Wound Healing
keywords: Atrophic acne scar; Er; YAG; fractional ablative lasers; laser; skin phototype