A comparative study of efficacy of fractional carbon dioxide laser with and without subcision in treatment of facial acne scars

Severe acne, left untreated, lead to permanent scarring and facial deformities, causing significant physical and psychological distress. Traditional ablative lasers, while effective for treating facial atrophic acne scars, are often limited by long recovery times and complications such as erythema, hyperpigmentation, and scarring. This study aims to compare the efficacy of fractional carbon dioxide (CO2) laser treatment with and without subcision for improving facial acne scars, seeking a more effective treatment with minimal recovery time. A total of 30 patients (18–40 years) with facial atrophic scars, attending the Dermatology OPD of a tertiary hospital, allocated into Group A (Fractional CO2 with subcision) and Group B (Fractional CO2 without subcision). The study used Goodman and Baron’s quantitative and qualitative acne scar grading system for objective assessment and patients provided feedback using a 5-point Likert scale to gauge satisfaction. The scar improvement was better in Group A compared to Group B (p-value = .007), which was statistically significant. Patients receiving Fractional Carbon Dioxide Laser with subcision were more satisfied with the treatment outcome compared to those receiving Fractional Carbon Dioxide Laser alone. Keywords: Facial acne scars, Fractional carbon dioxide laser, Subcision