Laser therapy for treating hypertrophic and keloid scars

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Wound Healing
• Medical Technology

Background:

• Hypertrophic and keloid scars result from abnormal wound healing, causing physical and psychological distress.
• Treatments include corticosteroids, surgery, and laser therapy, with lasers being expensive and potentially having adverse effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effects of laser therapy for treating hypertrophic and keloid scars.

Main Methods:

• Included 15 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing laser therapy with placebo, no intervention, or other treatments.
• Searched multiple databases up to March 2021 without language or date restrictions.
• Assessed risk of bias and certainty of evidence using GRADE methodology.

Main Results:

• Low-certainty evidence suggests 585-nm pulsed-dye laser (PDL) may improve scar severity compared to no treatment.
• Evidence is very low or unclear for other laser types (non-ablative fractional, fractional CO2) and comparisons (intralesional corticosteroids, erbium laser).
• Insufficient data exists to analyze treatment-related adverse effects or compare laser combinations.

Conclusions:

• Insufficient evidence currently supports or refutes laser therapy for hypertrophic and keloid scars.
• Further high-quality trials are necessary to evaluate laser effectiveness, adverse effects, and long-term outcomes compared to other therapies.