Laser Treatment of Keratosis Pilaris of the Face

Laser Treatment of Keratosis Pilaris of the Face

Keratosis pilaris rubra and keratosis pilaris atrophicans faciei treated with pulsed dye laser: report of 10 cases.

Alcántara González J, Boixeda P, Truchuelo Díez MT, Fleta Asín B.

J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2011 Jun;25(6):710-4. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-3083.2010.03772.x.

• Keratosis pilaris is a frequent condition which affects at least 10% of the population. It is associated with atopic dermatitis and atopy (asthma, eczema, allergic rhinitis).
• It appears as keratotic follicular papules (bumps) mostly on the arms and thighs. Sometimes it can appear on the face (mostly on the cheeks).
• Because of its unsightly appearance, keratolytic creams (generally urea-based) associated or not with cream containing vitamin A are tried. The goal is to reverse temporarily the rough appearance of the skin. The red colour has somewhat shown to fade with pulse-dye laser (595nm).
• This article show effective pulse dye laser treatment of keratosis pilaris and its atrophic form (keratosis pilaris atrophicans) located on the face of 10 patients.
• The number of session treatments was between 2 and 7, for a fluence  of 5-9 J/cm2. Spot size diameter was 7 or 10mm. Pulse duration was 0.5 or 1.5ms.
• Results showed complete clearance (lasting for at least a year) of the redness in 3 patients and over 75% clearance in the other 7 patients. Purpura lasting for less than 2 weeks  was present in all patients and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation was observed in one patient.

Contributors:

Dr Christophe HSU – dermatologist. Geneva, Switzerland