A side-by-side comparison of carbon dioxide resurfacing lasers for the treatment of rhytides.

Abstract

The use of cutaneous resurfacing lasers to treat rhytides is widely accepted. Several carbon dioxide lasers, many using fundamentally different technologies, are available. The purpose of this study was to compare the results obtained and side effects after treating rhytides with 3 different carbon dioxide resurfacing lasers. We performed a randomized, blinded, prospective study wherein 16 subjects had either periorbital or perioral rhytides resurfaced with 1 of 3 carbon dioxide lasers on either side of the face. We were unable to demonstrate any significant differences in improvement in rhytides, patient satisfaction, posttreatment erythema, or other side effects. Our results suggest that operator technique and patient selection are more important factors than laser type with respect to outcome.