Acne vulgaris surgery

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Laser surgery has been in use for some time to reduce the scars left behind by acne, but research has been done on lasers for prevention of acne formation itself. The laser is used to produce one of the following effects:

• To burn away the follicle sac from which the hair grows.
• To burn away the sebaceous gland which produces the oil.
• To induce formation of oxygen in the bacteria, killing them.

Since lasers and intense pulsed light sources cause thermal damage to the skin there are concerns that laser or intense pulsed light treatments for acne will induce hyperpigmented macules (spots) or cause long term dryness of the skin.

The FDA has approved several companies, such as Candela Corp. to use a cosmetic laser for the treatment of acne.^[1] However, efficacy studies have used very small sample sizes (fewer than 100 subjects) for periods of six months or less, and have shown contradictory results.^[2][3] Also, laser treatment being relatively new, protocols remain subject to experimentation and revision,^[4] and treatment can be quite expensive. Also, some Smoothbeam laser devices had to be recalled due to coolant failure, which resulted in painful burn injuries to patients.

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