Penetration depth of Ultrapulse carbon dioxide laser in human skin

Recent technological advances have dramatically increased the use of lasers in skin resurfacing. The first high-power short-pulse laser, Ultrapulse, has found extensive use in dermatology and plastic surgery for skin resurfacing. Reports for penetration depth are at best anecdotal. To our knowledge this is the first report of histological effects of the Ultrapulse in human skin.

To determine the effect of single and repeated (two or three) Ultrapulse laser impacts on volar forearm skin.

The volar surface of the arm in four patients received in adjacent areas either one, two, or three pulses, after anesthesia. The treated areas were immediately biopsied, hematoxylin & eosin prepared, and examined.

Increasing the number of passes correlates with increased depth of penetration and thermal ablation. No significant propagation of destructive thermal energy to adjacent tissue was noted.

One impact at the tested parameters ablated most of the epidermis. Two impacts superimposed ablated the entire epidermis and the superficial papillary dermis. Three superimposed impacts penetrated to the reticular dermis.