Multi-center clinical study and review of fractional ablative CO2 laser resurfacing for the treatment of rhytides, photoaging, scars and striae.

Laser skin resurfacing has shifted over the past two decades from standard ablative resurfacing to non-ablative resurfacing and most recently, to fractional laser resurfacing. In this most recent category, fractional non-ablative lasers were first introduced followed by fractional ablative lasers, which offer an improved balance between safety and efficacy. In the current article, a review of fractional ablative resurfacing is presented alongside the results from a multi-center clinical study employing the fractional carbon dioxide (CO2) laser (SmartXide DOT, DEKA) for the treatment of rhytides, photoaging, scars and striae distensae.