Background
In Mediterranean countries, increased exposure to sunlight accelerates aging of the skin and the formation of wrinkles. The long-term follow-up results for the patients who underwent resurfacing with ultrapulsed carbon dioxide (CO2) laser are presented.Methods
All 47 patients who underwent ultrapulsed CO2 laser between 1994 and 1996 were included in the study. The patients were photographed with their permission before the laser treatment, at postoperative month 6, and at year 5, with comparison of the results.Results
In this study, with its 5-year follow-up period, it was found that the ultrapulsed CO2 laser achieved long-lasting and acceptable facial resurfacing.Conclusions
The ultrapulsed CO2 laser enables damage to the abnormal dermal region with high-energy transfer in a very short period. The recent development of high-energy pulsed CO2 laser has generated much renewed enthusiasm for cutaneous resurfacing, especially over the long term.Keywords Aging face - Late results - Ultrapulsed carbon dioxide laser
Presented at the XVI Congress the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS), 26–29 May 2002, Istanbul, Turkey