Successful treatment of a chronic atrophic dog-bite scar with the 1450-nm diode laser.

BACKGROUND Atrophic scars can be revised with surgical methods and more recently with newer ablative and nonablative laser techniques. Nonablative laser technology offers the advantage of improving the appearance of atrophic scars without the risks associated with traditional surgery or ablative lasers. METHODS A case of a large linear atrophic dog-bite scar on the chin of greater than 2-year duration treated for three sessions at 4- to 6-week intervals with the 1450-nm diode laser is presented. RESULTS Fifty to seventy-five percent improvement in the appearance of the scar resulted after three treatments with the 1450-nm diode laser. No adverse effects were noted from the treatment. The patient subjective rating of scar improvement was more than 50%. CONCLUSION The 1450-nm diode laser may provide a noninvasive and effective alternative for the treatment of atrophic traumatic scars. This method appears to be potentially effective even for treatment of very mature scars and warrants additional studies.