Treatment of erythematous acne scars using 595‐nm pulsed dye laser combined with 1565‐nm ResurFX nonablative fractional laser

Abstract Background Acne vulgaris is a common inflammatory disease associated with various sequelae after skin lesion remission. Acne erythema has been considered simple erythema or a vascular lesion; however, because the understanding of this disease has improved, acne erythema is currently considered an early scar with erythematous components. Aims This study evaluated the efficacy of using both a 595‐nm pulsed dye laser (PDL) and 1565‐nm nonablative fractional laser (NAFL) for the treatment of erythematous scars caused by acne. Methods Ninety patients with acne scars were equally randomized to two groups. Group A ( n = 45) received treatment with the NAFL. Group B ( n = 45) received treatment with the PDL and NAFL. Each patient underwent one treatment session and 4 weeks of follow‐up. Results Qualitative (χ 2 = 12.415; p < 0.05) and quantitative ( t = 2.675; p < 0.05) scores of Groups A and B were determined using a global scarring grading system and exhibited statistically significant differences. The quantitative score of Group A was higher than that of Group B (6.67 ± 3.46 vs. 4.98 ± 2.44). The erythema areas of the groups differed significantly after treatment, with Group B exhibiting more notable score improvements (5.00 [3.10, 7.10] vs. 2.80 [1.65, 4.60]; Z = 3.072; p < 0.05). The erythema regression rate of Group B (88.9%) was significantly higher than that of Group A (66.7%) ( χ 2 = 20.295; p < 0.001). Adverse events, including redness and swelling (86.6%), scabbing (78.8%), and purpura (36.6%), occurred within 7 days for 86.6% of patients. Conclusions The combined use of the PDL and NAFL is safe and effective for erythematous acne scars.