A preliminary study of utilization of the 1320-nm Nd:YAG laser for the treatment of acne scarring.

Background: Multiple treatment modalities have been used for the revision of acne scarring with varying degrees of success. Nonablative laser resurfacing has recently been shown to improve the appearance of atrophic acne scars.

Objective: The objective was to determine the efficacy of a 1320-nm Nd:YAG laser for the treatment of acne scars.

Methods: Eight patients with facial acne scars received six monthly treatments with a 1320-nm Nd:YAG laser with built-in cryogen cooling. Results were evaluated by objective and patient assessment using a 6-point improvement scale: 1=no improvement, 6=80% to 100% improvement.

Results: Acne scar improvement was statistically significant at both the 5-month and 1-year marks. Mean improvement by objective assessment was 3.9 points (p=0.002) at 5 months and 4.3 points (p=0.011) at 1 years. The mean acne scar improvement by patient assessment was 3.6 points (p=0.002) at 5 months.

Conclusion: The 1320-nm Nd:YAG laser with cryogen cooling significantly improves the appearance of acne scarring.