Effects of the Nd:YAG 1320-nm laser on skin rejuvenation: Clinical and histological correlations

Abstract

The neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd:YAG) laser is a popular non-ablative treatment used for skin rejuvenation. The purpose of this prospective study was to evaluate the clinical effects, coupled with a quantitative assessment, of the histological changes in response to Nd:YAG 1320-nm laser treatment of periocular wrinkles. Six volunteers with Fitzpatrick skin types III and IV and Glogau class I–II wrinkles were subjected to 3 months of Nd:YAG 1320-nm treatment in the periocular area (six sessions at 2-week intervals). Volunteers were photographed, and skin biopsies were obtained at baseline as well as 3 and 6 months after the start of treatments. Quantitative evaluation of total elastin, newly synthesized tropoelastin, collagen types I, III and VII, and newly synthesized collagen was performed using a computerized morphometric analysis. A noticeable clinical and histological improvement was observed after Nd:YAG 1320-nm treatment. Collagen types I, III and VII, as well as newly synthesized collagen, together with tropoelastin showed a statistically significant increase in response to treatment, while the mean level of total elastin was significantly decreased after treatment. Our data suggest that Nd:YAG 1320 nm is an effective treatment for skin rejuvenation as it stimulates the repair processes, and reverses the clinical, as well as the histopathological, signs of skin aging.

Key Words::

• collagen
• elastin
• Nd:YAG 1320 nm
• non-ablative rejuvenation
• skin aging

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Carol Kelly and Alicia Dowling for their help in the preparation of this article.

Funding

This work was supported in part by the Cultural and Educational Bureau of the Republic of Egypt to WM.

Conflict of interest: The authors state no conflicts of interest.