A Comparative Clinical Study to Assess Pain Score and Wound Healing Following Fractional Ablation With a DFG Laser and CO2 Laser

The primary goal of this study is to compare the pain score and wound healing time in healthy subjects undergoing low fluence fractional ablation using the DFG and CO2 lasers. The secondary objective involves assessing the impact of each laser on dermal vasculature using an Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) imaging system.

Participants will be treated with the DFG and CO2 laser to the upper thighs. Photography, pain scores, and OCT imaging will be recorded over the course of the study visits.

The investigators plan to enroll 23 healthy subjects to complete the study. Subjects must be equal to greater than 18 years old and may be any gender or Fitzpatrick skin type.

Inclusion criteria

• Subjects must be able and willing to provide written informed consent and comply with the requirements of the study protocol;
• Subjects must be in good general health, based on answers provided during the screening visit;
• Subjects must be able to read and understand English.
• Subjects must be above the age of 18.
• Subjects must have no history of skin conditions that affect the integrity of the skin barrier.

Exclusion criteria

• Are pregnant or lactating;
• Have a history of drug or alcohol abuse or have reported habitual alcohol intake greater than 2 standard drinks per day [e.g., 2 beers, 2 glasses of wine, or 2 mixed drinks];
• Are smoking or have a history of smoking;
• Presence of eczema, psoriasis, skin wounds or ulcers, or any other skin disease on the thighs;
• Have birth marks, tattoos, scars, or any other disfiguration of the skin in the skin area of interest;
• Presence of sunburn or tan in the treatment area;
• Use of any topical application of retinoids in the area of interest or systemic retinoids in the past 6 months;
• Use of any prescription topical medication, such as corticosteroids or hydroquinone on the skin area of interest in the past 6 months;
• History of blood-clotting abnormality;
• History of keloid formation or hypertrophic scarring;
• History of allergic reaction to local anesthesia, aluminum chloride, and/or glycerol;
• Investigator, interfere with study evaluations or pose a risk to subject safety during the study;
• Exhibits any clinical conditions or takes any medication which in the opinion of the investigator may interfere with the study or pose a risk to subject safety during the study;
• Is not able to follow study protocol.