LOW REACTIVE LEVEL LASER THERAPY (LLLT) FOR THE TREATMENT OF HYPERTROPHIC SCARS AND KELOIDS. A RE-INTRODUCTION

Abstract

Low reactive Level Therapy ( LLLT ) is now well into its 30th decade, and its beneficial effects such as pain attenuation, accelerated or enhanced wound healing have been very well reported and investigated. For clinics such as ours which utilizes LLLT for medical treatments, LLLT for hypertrophic scars and keloids very quickly became, and remains, routine. We believed that many facilities and institutions have also been using LLLT for the treatment of hypertrophic scars and keloids, but to our surprise there were very few medical facilities using LLLT and practically none for the treatment of scars. Recently, starting in the 1990‘s, there have been several reports where High reactive Laser Treatment (HLLT ) has been used in an attempt to treat hypertrophic scars and keloids. However no literature concerning LLLT for these lesions appears in MedLine, even though the treatment is safe and effective with no side effects and complications when compared to HLLT. The authors herein re-introduce the technique and protocol of LLLT which they have used for the past twenty years for the treatment of hypertrophic scars and keloids. We present a series of representative cases and discuss the most efficient treatment modality in combination with conventional treatment methods.