Efficacy of nonablative laser treatment for rhytids: A controlled study with objective evaluation via clinical, profilometric, and computer assessments

A course of 5 treatments with the 980-nm diode laser gave positive short-term results in skin enhancement following nonablative rhytids treatment, which might have significance for the plastic surgeon when considering epidermal improvement after any surgical procedure. Introducing a “top-up” treatment, perhaps at the 3- or 4-month posttreatment point, supplemented with other adjunctive epidermal care regimens, might well increase overall efficacy and reverse the downward trend seen in all of the data except for histology. This strategy might well help the epidermis to better reflect the excellent histologic changes and is worthy of further study.