Laser resurfacing has become an extremely popular modality in the treatment
of the aging face. Reported complications associated with carbon dioxide l
aser resurfacing are on the increase. One such complication involves the oc
currence of significant hypersensitivity in laser and non-laser-treated are
as, often occurring for weeks or months after the original treatment and ne
cessitating topical or systemic steroid therapy. In an effort to identify p
atients at risk, those with significant hypersensitivity reactions were int
erviewed retrospectively. Questions regarding their background atopic chara
cteristics were posed. Their responses to certain questions were then compa
red with those of a control group of 50 patients from the same pool who suf
fered no ill effects after laser therapy. A total of 151 patients were incl
uded in the study (pool). Of these, 14 patients (9.3 percent) suffered sign
ificant hypersensitivity. Detailed history in these patients revealed possi
ble prior "allergic sensitivity" in 78.6 percent of patients. In contrast,
only 30 percent of 50 nonsymptomatic laser-treated patients admitted to any
positive allergic tendencies. It is likely that carbon dioxide laser resur
facing may trigger a sensitivity reaction in susceptible individuals.