Pulsed dye laser and non-ablative wrinkle reduction.
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Non-ablative wrinkle reduction is currently an issue, which is being widely discussed in the literature and at academic meetings worldwide. We present the findings of our randomized within patient controlled clinical trial into periorbital wrinkle reduction with a 595 nm pulsed dye laser. STUDY DESIGN/MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-six volunteers, 25 female and 1 male were enrolled into our study. The study was set up as a randomized within patient controlled clinical trial. Subjects received one treatment to the periorbital wrinkles around one eye, using the other as the control. They were then observed at 3 and 6 months post treatment. They then received three treatments spaced 4 weeks apart and were again observed at 3 and 6 months. The author and one blinded assessor reviewed them independently. At the end of the trial a panel of three blinded assessors scored photographs of the subjects independently. The Fitzpatrick wrinkle score was used to score the subjects. All data was subjected to statistical analysis using non-parametric t-tests. RESULTS: Statistical analysis revealed no significant differences in the wrinkle scores of the patients upon completion of the trial protocols. CONCLUSIONS: The 595 nm pulsed dye laser set at 0.5 millisecond pulse width is not an effective means of achieving sub-purpuric non-ablative periorbital wrinkle reduction.