308-nm excimer laser treatment of mature hypopigmented striae

BACKGROUND. The 308-nm excimer laser has been shown to be effective in the treatment of disorders of hypopigmentation. OBJECTIVE. To evaluate the effectiveness of the 308-nm excimer laser in the treatment of mature hypopigmented striae. RESULTS. Seventy-five subjects were treated for a total of 615 treatments. All patients achieved a substantial increase in the darkening of their striae after an average of 8.4 treatments. Clinically evident improvement in cosmetic appearance of striae was noted by 80% of subjects. CONCLUSION. The 308-nm excimer laser is effective for increasing pigmentation in mature hypopigmented striae. This pigmentation is cosmetically significant. Future studies are required to determine the duration of clinical improvement.