Treatment of Freckles Using a Fractional Nonablative 2940nm Erb:YAG Laser in a Series of Asian Patients

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to demonstrate a novel, effective, and safe way to utilize the Erb:YAG laser to clear freckles in Type III/IV Asian skin. DESIGN: This was a prospective study. SETTING: The setting was a Singapore-based clinic. PARTICIPANTS: Participants included five women, aged 25 to 38 years, three with Skin Type III and two with Skin Type IV. All of them had freckles. MEASUREMENTS: Photographs were taken pretreatment and one month after laser treatment. Three independent physicians evaluated the photographs using a grading system. Patients were followed clinically for a total of six months post-laser treatment to monitor for post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and recurrence. RESULTS: At one month post-laser treatment, all five patients were evaluated. The three independent physicians agreed that all five patients had greater than 90-percent clearance of their freckles. During the subsequent follow-up visits (up to 6 months post-laser treatment), no post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, hypopigmentation, or recurrence was seen. CONCLUSION: The Erb:Yag laser might be considered an effective and safe treatment for freckles in Asian patients.