IPL treatment in addition to fractional CO2 laser offers better improvement in the appearance of hypertrophic scars than CO2 alone. Researchers Alexander A. Daoud, MD, et al, performed a randomized controlled trial, that included 23 healthy adults with large (>100 cm2) hypertrophic scars who were randomized to one of three treatment arms: IPL and CO2 ablative fractional laser (AFL), CO2 AFL alone, and control (no laser treatment).
Subjects underwent a total of four treatment sessions at six to eight week intervals with follow‐up visits at one, three and six months following the last treatment session. Outcomes were measured through blinded scoring of before-and-after photographs using the Manchester Scar Scale (MSS) as well as the Patient‐Observer Scar Assessment Scale (POSAS).
The combination of CO2 AFL and IPL demonstrated statistically significant improvement across a greater number of scar domains, as assessed by the MSS when compared to control and CO2 AFL laser alone. All subjects in both treatment groups showed a statistically significant decrease in the POSAS scale after the series of four treatment sessions. No adverse events were reported.
The authors noted that while both treatment groups has statistically significant improvement compared to control, only the combination group had statistically significant improvement in both color and texture of the scars post-treatment. The study was published in Lasers in Surgery and Medicine (May 14, 2019).
