Combination of a 2940 nm Er:YAG laser with recombinant bovine basic fibroblast growth factor (rb-bFGF) and light-emitting diode-red light (LED-RL) for the treatment of striae alba: A pilot study.

BACKGROUND Striae distensae (SD) are a common dermatologic problem that plagues many people. Although there are many therapeutic modalities have been used to treat SD, effective method has been disappointing for striae Alba. AIMS To evaluate the clinical and histopathologic efficacy and safety of the 2940-nm erbium yttrium aluminum garnet (Er:YAG) ablative fractional laser (AFL) with recombinant bovine basic fibroblast growth factor (rb-bFGF) and light-emitting diode-red light (LED-RL) for the treatment of striae alba. PATIENTS AND METHODS Thirty volunteers with striae distensae alba were enrolled. The subjects completed treatments with the 2940-nm Er:YAG AFL 6 times at 4-week intervals. Following this treatment, the subjects were required to spray rb-BFGF for 1 week at home. They then received LED-RL once every 7 days for three sessions between the two laser treatments. Two independent investigators evaluated clinical improvement at pretreatment and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months post-treatment, patients also provided self-assessments of clinical improvement. Two biopsies were obtained from two subjects, both of the same sites of striae alba, one before the first treatment and one 6 months after the last session. RESULTS All 30 subjects demonstrated clinical improvement after treatment. Skin biopsies after treatment showed an increase in epidermal thickness, dermal thickness, and collagen and elastin density when compared to that at the baseline. CONCLUSIONS The combination of the 2940-nm Er:YAG laser with rb-bFGF and LED-RL for the treatment of striae alba was a safe and effective approach for improving the appearance of striae alba.