Er:YAG Laser for Treatment of Enlarged Pores

The Efficacy and Safety of Erbium:Yttrium Aluminum Garnet Laser for Treatment of Enlarged Pores: A Pilot Study

To investigate the efficacy of Erbium:Yttrium aluminum garnet laser (Er:YAG) in the treatment of enlarged pores.

• Enlarged pores are caused by multifactorial factors such as sex, genetics, aging, etc.
• The gold of the treatment is to recollagenesis of the dermis and resurfacing of the epidermis.
• Modalities that have been proved on their efficacy for enlarged pores treatment included topical retinoic acid, chemical peeling, intense pulsed light, radiofrequency device, laser such as Q-switched and Long Pulsed Neodymium-Doped Yttrium-Aluminum-Garnet (Nd:YAG) 1,064nm, Long pulse duration pulsed dye laser 595nm, etc.
• Er:YAG laser is an ablative laser which creates both recollagenesis and resurfacing. It ha been proved to be safe and effective in the treatment of atrophic acne scar.
• However, the efficacy of this laser for enlarged treatment has not yet been established.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Visible enlarged pores on both sides of the face
• Fitzpatrick skin type 3-5

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients with lesions with any clinical suspicion of being pre-cancerous or skin malignancies of any kind
• Patients who have photosensitive dermatoses
• Pregnancy and lactation woman
• Patients with wound infections (herpes, other) on the day of treatment
• Patients with moderate and severe inflammatory acne, Immunosuppressed patients, history of vitiligo
• Patients with unrealistic concerns/expectations and inability to do the appropriate post-operative care