Lasers ablatifs et lasers fractionnels

Fractionated techniques treat 25% of the defective skin area at each session in noncontiguous microzones; four sessions are therefore necessary to treat the entire cutaneous surface. The treatment is given under topical anesthesia and is much less invasive, particularly with nonablative fractional laser treatment in which photothermolysis does not penetrate below the epidermis and/or the effects are slight, with no or very little social isolation. However, the results are much less satisfactory than the results of ablative laser and there is no firming effect. Other zones than the face can be treated. With the fractional CO2 and Erbium ablative lasers, which have multiplied over the past 2 years, the much wider impacts cause perforation of the epidermis and there is a zone of ablation by laser photovaporization, with a zone of thermal damage below. The results are better in correcting photoaging of the face, without, however, achieving the efficacy of ablative lasers, which remain the reference technique. However, the effects are not insignificant, requiring at least 5 days of social isolation.