CLT Skin Rejuvenation & Resurfacing 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which skin condition is considered a contraindication for ablative laser resurfacing?
- Active acne vulgaris (Correct answer)
- Mild photodamage
- Fine perioral lines
- Superficial acne scarring
Correct answer: Active acne vulgaris
Active acne is a contraindication because ablative resurfacing can spread bacteria and worsen infection.
Question 2: What does the Fitzpatrick skin type scale primarily help clinicians determine before laser treatment?
- Expected downtime
- Risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (Correct answer)
- Optimal pulse duration
- Depth of wrinkles
Correct answer: Risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation
Higher Fitzpatrick skin types (IV–VI) have greater melanin content and are at increased risk for PIH following laser procedures.
Question 3: Non-ablative fractional resurfacing differs from ablative fractional resurfacing primarily because it:
- Removes the entire epidermis uniformly
- Leaves the stratum corneum intact (Correct answer)
- Uses longer wavelengths exclusively
- Requires no anesthesia
Correct answer: Leaves the stratum corneum intact
Non-ablative fractional lasers create thermal injury in the dermis while preserving the overlying epidermis, resulting in faster recovery.
Question 4: A patient develops prolonged erythema lasting more than four weeks after CO2 resurfacing. This most likely indicates:
- Normal healing response
- Delayed healing or early scarring (Correct answer)
- Successful collagen remodeling
- Superficial treatment depth
Correct answer: Delayed healing or early scarring
Erythema persisting beyond 3–4 weeks post-ablative resurfacing is a warning sign of impaired healing or early scar formation.
Question 5: Which topical agent is most commonly used in pretreatment protocols to reduce post-laser hyperpigmentation risk in darker skin types?
- Tretinoin
- Hydroquinone (Correct answer)
- Benzoyl peroxide
- Salicylic acid
Correct answer: Hydroquinone
Hydroquinone suppresses melanin synthesis and is used pre- and post-procedure to minimize hyperpigmentation in higher Fitzpatrick types.
Question 6: The term 'pulse stacking' in laser resurfacing refers to:
- Using two different laser wavelengths simultaneously
- Delivering multiple pulses to the same area before tissue cools (Correct answer)
- Increasing the repetition rate to cover larger areas
- Layering ablative and non-ablative passes in one session
Correct answer: Delivering multiple pulses to the same area before tissue cools
Pulse stacking delivers successive pulses to untreated tissue, accumulating heat and increasing treatment depth beyond a single pass.
Question 7: Which of the following best describes the 'zone of thermal damage' in fractional laser resurfacing?
- Area of complete tissue vaporization
- Surrounding tissue heated but not ablated (Correct answer)
- Region where collagen fibers are permanently destroyed
- Zone where melanocytes are selectively targeted
Correct answer: Surrounding tissue heated but not ablated
The zone of thermal damage surrounds the ablated column and stimulates collagen remodeling without removing tissue.
CLT Skin Rejuvenation & Resurfacing 2
Which skin condition is considered a contraindication for ablative laser resurfacing?