LASER REVISION OF SCARS

Course overview

SCARS ARE THE RESULT OF THE CUTANEOUS WOUND HEALING PROCESS THAT LEADS TO FIBROSIS AND ALTERED SKIN MORPHOLOGY. ALL WOUNDS HEAL WITH SOME DEGREE OF SCAR FORMATION, AND A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT SCARS CAN DEVELOP FOLLOWING SURGERY, TRAUMA, AND CUTANEOUS INFLAMMATORY PROCESSES. SCARS CAN HAVE SIGNIFICANT COSMETIC, PHYSICAL, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACTS ON PATIENTS, PROMPTING MANY TO SEEK TREATMENT. VARIOUS TREATMENT MODALITIES HAVE BEEN UTILIZED, WITH INCREASING EVIDENCE DEMONSTRATING THE EFFICACY OF LASERS IN IMPROVING SEVERAL TYPES OF SCARS, INCLUDING KELOIDS, HYPERTROPHIC SCARS, ATROPHIC SCARS, AND ACNE SCARS. ADVANCEMENTS IN LASER TECHNOLOGY HAVE ENHANCED THE ABILITY OF LASER DEVICES TO IMPROVE THE APPEARANCE, SYMPTOMS, TEXTURE, AND PLIABILITY OF ALL SCAR TYPES. THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE INDICATIONS, CONTRAINDICATIONS, AND TYPES OF LASERS USED FOR REVISION OF SCARS, AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN THE CARE OF PATIENTS UNDERGOING LASER SCAR REVISION.