Treatment of periorbital and perioral wrinkles with fractional Er:YAG laser: What are the effects of age, smoking, and Glogau stage?

Background: Dynamic and static wrinkling are observed on the facial skin as a result of aging. Previously, it was showed that fractional Er:YAG laser was effective in the treatment of facial wrinkles.

Aims: The aims of this study are to determine the effects of age, Glogau stage, and smoking status on the treatment efficacy of fractional Er:YAG laser; and to compare the success of laser treatment on periorbital wrinkles with perioral wrinkles.

Material/method: Periorbital and perioral wrinkles of the same patient were treated with fractional Er:YAG laser (2940 nm) for 4 sessions with monthly intervals. Treatment parameters were affluence of 1.5J, a spot size of 7 mm, and a frequency of 5 Hz. Treatment efficacy was evaluated by a blinded physician evaluation scale and patient satisfaction scale 2 months after the final treatment session.

Results: Fifteen patients completed the study. The mean age of the patients was 42.8 years. The blinded physician evaluation of the improvement in the periorbital wrinkles decreased (P =.034) and the patient satisfaction in perioral wrinkles decreased (P =.049) with increasing age. The relationship between smoking and patient satisfaction in the treatment of periorbital wrinkles was also statistically significant (P =.014). No difference in terms of treatment efficacy was found between periorbital and perioral regions.

Conclusion: Fractional Er:YAG laser (2940 nm) is equally successful in the treatment of periorbital and perioral wrinkles. The treatment success decreases with smoking and increasing age.