Long pulsed 1064nm Nd:YAG laser as a novel noninvasive treatment modality

Objectives: Treatment modalities for skin laxity and striae distensae on body parts are limited, mostly require painstaking process, dowtime of 1-2 weeks , and post inflammatory in Asian skin for up to 3-6 months. Long pulsed Nd:YAG laser is widely used in skin rejuvenation of face and neck region. This study is designed to explore the efficacy and safety of long pulsed Nd:YAG laser as a novel non-invasive treatment modality for skin laxity and striae distensae on different body parts. Materials / method: We conducted a preliminary clinical observation for long pulsed Nd:YAG laser treatment on half side of abdomen to improve the skin laxity, skin texture, striae distensae improvement and skin lightening in five cases, in total of  2-10 times at 2-4 weeks interval. After the proved efficacy and safety, we completed thirty cases of treatment on the different body parts of abdomen, chest, shoulders, buttocks, and knees. Pain score, skin laxity improvement, skin texture improvement, satisfaction rate, willing for next treatment are evaluated, side effects are recorded. Results: In the preliminary observaton of five cases of half side of abdomen treatment, all cases showed improvement in the skin laxity and skin texture. Skin lightenging was well-observed as an additional efficacy. In the thirty-three cases of treatment on different body parts, the pain score was no more than 2. The skin laxity and skin texture improvement were more than 26% in all cases. The striae distansea had improvement of 50-75% in mild to modrate cases, and improved 25-50% in severe cases. The satisfaction rate was more than 75%. Mild redness lasting for 1 day was observed in one case. Conclusion: Long pulsed Nd:YAG laser can be safely used as a novel non-invasive treatment modality to improve the skin laxity and striae distensae on different body parts, such as abdomen, chest, buttocks and knees, with limited pain sensation, no downtime and satisfying efficacy.