Cosmetic laser surgery reduces wrinkles by half, study suggests

The surgery, called carbon dioxide laser resurfacing, has previously been linked to side effects including scarring and acne.

But new research suggests that the treatment is safe and that after two years patients see an average 45 per cent reduction in the number of wrinkles and fine lines on their face.

It works by removing layers of damaged skin as well as stimulating the face to produce more collagen, the elastic material which helps give skin its shape, filling in the wrinkles.

Thousands of the procedures are carried out in the UK every year and can cost up to £4,000 to treat the full face.

The treatment is commonly used to remove fine lines and wrinkles from the whole face or can be used to target certain areas, such as crow's feet around the eyes.

It can also be used to tighten the skin, especially in the jowl area.

Researchers looked at 47 patients, with an average age of 52, who received the treatment between 1996 and 2004.

They found that while around half of the patients developed either acne or darkening of the skin as a result of the procedure most of the side effects had cleared up within two years.

At that stage the volunteers were measured according to an agreed score to determine the reduction in the number of wrinkles.

On average patients had 45 per cent fewer lines and wrinkles across all areas of their face than before the laser surgery, although some had up to 50 per cent fewer, the findings, published in the Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery journal, show.

Dr P Daniel Ward and Dr Shan Baker, from the University of Michigan, who carried out the research, said that their results proved that carbon dioxide laser resurfacing did lead to "long term improvements" in the reduction of wrinkles.

One third of all patients developed acne or small white cysts after the treatment, while 20 per cent experienced either lightening or darkening of the skin.

After two years just one case of darkened and six cases of lightened skin remained.

Patients who undergo the treatment can often go home the same day, although they are advised to stay out of the sun for at least a few weeks as their faces are left extremely susceptible to sun damage.

David Gault, consultant plastic surgeon at the Portland Hospital in London, said: "Carbon dioxide lasers are the gold standard treatment, with fantastic results."

Although different laser treatments had been designed in recent years to reduce the number of side effects, none have been as successful at tackling wrinkles, he added.