ABSTRACT
A multitude of laser and laser-like devices are available for the improvement of scars. In addition to the physical therapies discussed in the previous chapter, laser scar revision has gained recognition for its safety profile and clinically demonstrable efficacy. Acute optimization of wound healing can start immediately after the completion of surgery, as in laser-assisted scar healing; following suture removal; or several weeks to months after surgery, when the scar has matured. Newer-generation nonablative lasers have yielded inconsistent results for revision of scars. Hypopigmented scars can occur as a direct consequence of cutaneous surgery or as a side effect of ablative and fractional resurfacing, as discussed in the sections “Ablative Laser Therapy” and “Ablative Fractional Lasers.” Ablative laser resurfacing offers a highly efficacious treatment modality for scar revision, as it allows for the complete removal of the epidermis and parts of the dermis. The newest laser technology to enter the field of resurfacing is fractional photothermolysis.
