Table of contents : Preface Acknowledgements Contents Contributors About the Author Introduction to Lasers and Their Use in Scar Management 1 Principles of Laser–Tissue Interactions 2 Scar Characteristics Commonly Amenable to Laser Therapy 3 Providing a Laser Scar Service Further Reading Pathophysiology of Scarring 1 Wound Healing and Scarring 1.1 Hypertrophic Scars 1.2 Keloid Scars 1.3 Atrophic Scars References Decision-Making for Safe and Effective Laser Treatment: The Laser Test Patch 1 Introduction 2 General Principles of Performing a Test Patch [1] 3 Safety and Effectiveness of Test Patching in Relation to Treating Scars 4 Conclusion References Laser Strategies for Complex Scars: Experience from Establishing a Supra-Regional Laser Service for Burns and Complex Scarring 1 Introduction 2 Treatment Population 3 The Laser Test Patch 4 Indications for Treatment 5 Pigmentation 5.1 Clinical Examples (Figs. 5, 6, and 7) 5.2 Summary (Pigmentation) 6 Scar Erythema and Telangiectasia 6.1 Summary (Vascular Laser Treatments for Scars) 7 Keloid Scars 7.1 Vascular Lasers for Keloids 7.2 Ablative Lasers for Keloids 7.3 Clinical Examples 8 Hypertrophic Scars and Contour 8.1 Ablative CO2 Laser 8.2 Laser Resurfacing 8.3 Summary: Ablative and Fractional Laser for Scars 9 Laser Depilation for Scar Folliculitis and Heterotopic Hair Growth 10 Acne Scarring 11 Summary References Carbon Dioxide Laser Treatment for Scars 1 Introduction 2 Review of the Evidence 2.1 Hypertrophic Scars Including Burn and Surgical Scars 2.2 Atrophic Scars 2.3 Contracted Scars/Range of Motion 3 Early Treatment/Scar Prevention 4 Treatment Methodology 5 General Instructions for Laser Operation 6 Laser Specifications 7 Clinical Examples 7.1 Case #1 7.2 Case #2 7.3 Case #3 8 Discussion References Pulsed Dye Laser Treatment for the Treatment of Hypertrophic Burns Scarring 1 Introduction 2 Review of the Evidence 2.1 Pulsed Dye Laser for Hypertrophic Scars 2.2 Early Intervention 2.3 Previous Studies 3 Treatment Methodology 4 Case Example 4.1 Lasers Settings 5 Discussion References Further Reading Long-Pulsed 1064-nm Nd:YAG Laser Treatment for Keloids and Hypertrophic Scars 1 Introduction 2 Laser Therapies for Keloids and Hypertrophic Scars 3 Indications and Limitations of Long-Pulsed 1064-nm Nd:YAG Laser for Keloids and Hypertrophic Scars 4 Treatment Settings of Long-Pulsed 1064-nm Nd:YAG Laser for Keloids and Hypertrophic Scars 5 Follow-Up of Keloids and Hypertrophic Scars References Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) Monotherapy for Scars 1 Background 2 Keloid and Hypertrophic Scarring 3 The Use of IPL Alone 4 IPL Treatment Combined with Intra-Lesional Steroids 5 IPL Treatment Combined with CO2 Laser 6 IPL vs. Other Treatment Modalities 7 Complications Reported with IPL 8 Conclusion References Nd:YAG Laser and Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) in the Treatment of Hypertrophic and Keloid Scar 1 Introduction 2 Intense Pulsed Light 3 Nd:YAG 4 Treatment Methodology/Regimen 5 Clinical Examples 6 Discussion References Laser Management of Acne Scars 1 Introduction 2 Review of the Evidence 3 Treatment Methodology 3.1 Non-laser–Based Treatments 3.2 Laser-Based Treatments 3.3 Ablative Lasers 3.4 Non-ablative Lasers 4 Clinical Examples 4.1 Ice-Pick Acne Scars 4.2 Rolling Acne Scars 4.3 Hypertrophic Acne Scars 5 Discussion References Strategies for Keloid and Hypertrophic Scars with Lasers 1 Introduction 2 Examining the Evidence 2.1 Pulsed Dye Laser (PDL) 2.2 Nd:YAG 2.3 Ablative Lasers: Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Laser and Er:YAG 3 Treatment Methodology 4 Clinical Examples 5 Discussion References ‘Acid Attack’ Scars: Strategy for Scars from Assaults Using Corrosive Substances 1 Scar Folliculitis and Hair Removal 2 Erythema and Hypertrophic Scars 3 Pigmentation 4 Keloid Scars 5 Atrophic Scars Further Reading Photodynamic Therapy for the Treatment of Scars 1 Keloid Ex Vivo Studies 2 Hypertrophic Ex Vivo Studies 3 Evidence for PDT in Keloid Scarring 4 Evidence for PDT in Hypertrophic Scarring 5 Conclusion References 1550-nm Erbium:Glass and 1927-nm Thulium Non-Ablative Fractional Lasers for the Treatment of Burn Scars 1 Introduction 2 Review of the Evidence 3 Treatment Methodology 4 Clinical Examples 5 Discussion References Laser Depilation in Scar and Burn Management: Scar Folliculitis, Heterotopic Hair Growth, and Keloids 1 Heterotopic Hair Growth 1.1 Pseudo-Folliculitis and Scar Folliculitis 1.2 Which Laser? 2 Keloid Scars 2.1 Clinical Examples 3 Summary References Informed Consent for Laser Therapy in Scar Management 1 Introduction 2 Legal and Ethical Issues Relevant to Consent 3 Obtaining Consent in Laser Scar Management 4 Informed Consent in the Laser Treatment of Cutaneous Scarring 4.1 Burns and Blisters 5 Consent Pitfalls 6 Conclusion Further Reading Legal Cases Complications Including Scarring Caused by Lasers 1 Treatment of Scars Caused by Lasers Further Reading