Efficacy and Safety of 1565-nm Non-ablative Fractional Laser Versus Long-pulsed 1064-nm Nd:YAG Laser in the Treatment of Enlarged Facial Pores

Facial pores are visible openings of pilosebaceous follicles. These openings are not fixed structures and they can be affected by many factors, including sebum secretion, skin elasticity, hair thickness, age, hormones and ultraviolet exposure. These enlarged pores remain a cosmetic problem that impacts patient quality of life. At present, there is no unified evaluation standard for enlarged facial pores, and the mechanisms that underline enlarged facial pores remain unclear.

Various methods have been used to treat enlarged facial pores mainly focus on the possible causes. Treatment options include topical retinoic acid, oral isotretinoin, antiandrogen therapy, injections of botulinum toxin type A, chemical peeling, lasers, radiofrequency, and ultrasound devices. In recent years, various studies on laser treatments of facial pores are gradually increasing because of good efficacy and limited adverse reactions.

The 1064-nm LPNY has been widely used for facial rejuvenation. Many studies have confirmed that LPNY can reduce facial wrinkles and improve skin elasticity. Some researchers have used it to treat enlarged pores, and it has shown good results. Recently, 1565-nm NAFL is introduced for skin resurfacing, it has also been shown to be effective in treating enlarged facial pores. However, there are not enough clinical researches to confirm their efficacy, and no study has compared these two laser treatments before. So this is the first self-comparative study to compare the safety and efficacy of two lasers in the treatment of enlarged facial pores.