Fractional CO2 Laser Skin Resurfacing for the Treatment of Sun-Damaged Skin and Actinic Keratoses

It is important to realize that laser technology can be used to address both medical and cosmetic problems. Actinic keratoses are considered the earliest stage in the continuum of the development of squamous cell carcinomas and should be treated expeditiously. We report a case of a 72-year-old woman who showed excellent response to treatment with a fractional carbon dioxide (CO2) laser for the treatment of actinic keratoses, actinic damage, and pigmentation that also eliminated mild wrinkles that extended over the entire face in the same procedure. Use of the fractional CO2 laser should be considered to treat sun-damaged skin with the earliest signs of skin cancer, ie, actinic keratoses, as well as for laser skin resurfacing and skin rejuvenation.