journal article·2025-04-03Open access

An Assessment of the Efficacy of Erbium Glass Laser Therapy in Acne Scar Treatment Using Image Analysis and Processing Methods

Wiktoria Odrzywołek, Anna Deda, Dagmara Kuca, Anna Banyś, Krzysztof Makarski, Robert Koprowski, Sławomir Wilczyński

Applied Sciences· Volume 15· Issue 7

Abstract

Background: Acne scars significantly impact skin texture and esthetics, necessitating effective treatment modalities. This study evaluates the efficacy of erbium glass laser therapy in improving atrophic acne scars using advanced image analysis techniques. Materials and methods: Twenty patients with mild to moderate atrophic scars underwent two sessions of 1550 nm erbium glass laser treatment. The clinical photographs were analyzed using a Gray-Level Co-occurrence Matrix (GLCM) to assess changes in contrast and homogeneity across the grayscale and RGB channels. The analysis revealed statistically significant improvements post-therapy, including reduced contrast and increased homogeneity, indicating a smoother and more uniform skin texture. The blue and green channels demonstrated the greatest sensitivity to surface-level textural changes, while the red channel exhibited the smallest differences, reflecting its deeper penetration and reduced sensitivity to surface alterations. Conclusions: These findings underscore the value of quantitative imaging techniques in dermatology for objectively evaluating therapeutic outcomes and optimizing treatment strategies. Erbium glass laser therapy emerges as a non-invasive and effective solution for acne scar management.
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Research context

OpenAlex topics: Dermatologic Treatments and Research · Optical Coherence Tomography Applications · Skin Protection and Aging

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

Department of Basic Biomedical Science, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Sosnowiec, Medical University of Silesia, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland

Department of Practical Cosmetology and Skin Diagnostics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Sosnowiec, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland

Shar-Pol Sp. z o.o., 44-102 Gliwice, Poland

Department of Biomedical Computer Systems, Faculty of Computer Science and Materials Science, Institute of Computer Science, University of Silesia, ul, Będzińska 39, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland

Funding

the Metropolis GZM within the framework of the Program “Metropolitan Science Support Fund” in 2022–2024

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