Utilization of the 1320‐nm Nd:YAG Laser for the Reduction of Photoaging of the Hands

Background. Nonablative laser resurfacing has been shown to improve the appearance photoaged skin. Clinical improvement has been associated with dermal collagen remodeling. Objective. The objective was to determine the efficacy of a 1320‐nm Nd:YAG laser for the treatment of photoaging hands. Methods. Seven patients with photoaged hands received six monthly treatments with a 1320‐nm Nd:YAG laser. Improvement in skin smoothness was evaluated by objective and patient assessment using a 6‐point improvement scale: 1=no improvement and 6=80% to 100% improvement. Results. Mild to moderate improvement was achieved as determined by both objective and patient assessment. Mean improvement by objective assessment was 2.4 points. Objective improvement was noted in four of seven patients, and these patients demonstrated a mean improvement score of 3.5 points. The mean improvement by patient assessment was 3.1 points. Conclusion. This case series demonstrates that the 1320‐nm Nd:YAG laser with cryogen cooling can be effective for rejuvenation of photoaged hands.