[Laser treatment of wrinkles. Update]

Prolonged exposure to UV-radiation induces a variety of visible skin changes such as lentigines, actinic keratoses and solar elastosis. Laser skin resurfacing using ablative lasers (CO(2) or Erbium:YAG) is a popular procedure to reduce these marks and improve the aesthetic appearance of photoaged facial skin. Skin resurfacing is defined as an ablation of the upper layers of facial skin. Possible side effects are hyperpigmentation, hypopigmentation and, at worst, scarring. The"down time" after the skin resurfacing procedure is about 7 to 10 days. This is the major drawback of resurfacing and the main reason why subsurfacing/skin rejuvenation is becoming even more popular. The literature is not clear on whether this newer approach is as effective as resurfacing.