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Background. Becker's nevus (BN) severely affects a patient's appearance and can lead to depression, especially when it involves the face or neck. Currently, there is no effective treatment. Laser therapy has become popular, but its efficacy has not been confirmed. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of lasers in treating BN. Methods. This retrospective study involved 49 patients exposed to different laser treatments who completed at least one treatment session and follow-up. Results. The patients treated with the 755-nm alexandrite picosecond laser and Q-switched 694-nm ruby laser gained relatively good results: 3.07 ± 1.09 and 2.87 ± 1.14 on the five-point scale and 3.47 ± 0.73 and 3.40 ± 0.85 on the GAIS, respectively. However, the results of the 755-nm alexandrite picosecond laser with a diffractive focus lens array and the fractionated 1064-nm neodymium-doped: yttrium aluminum garnet picosecond laser were poor. Furthermore, there were marked differences between the number of treatment sessions and treatment effects, both for the five-point grading score for pigment clearance (F = 15.246, p < 0.001) and GAIS (F = 15.469, p < 0.001). Concerning different lasers and efficacy, there were no marked differences between the five-point grading scale and the GAIS (p > 0.05). Conclusions. Although the efficacy of various lasers for BN is not satisfactory and there are no marked differences between picosecond and Q-switched lasers, they can help in selecting an appropriate laser for slight-to -moderate pigment removal. The 755-nm alexandrite picosecond laser is a new option, whereas nonablative fractional picosecond lasers for BN are not recommended. Increasing the number of treatment sessions can improve the curative effect slightly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nevus of Ota has been successfully treated by lasers. Currently, 1064 nm picosecond Nd:YAG lasers have become available for the treatment of pigmented disorders. However, there are few studies concerning the application of 1064 nm picosecond Nd:YAG laser in nevus of Ota. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a 1064 nm picosecond Nd:YAG laser for the treatment of nevus of Ota. We conducted a retrospective analysis of Chinese patients with nevus of Ota who had been treated with a 1064 nm picosecond Nd:YAG laser. Those who had any other laser treatment during the period of picosecond laser treatment were excluded. Via a visual analog scale for percentage of pigmentary clearance in standard photographs, the treatment efficacy was assessed by three blinded physician evaluators. A total of 16 subjects were included in this retrospective study. The average age at the beginning of treatment was 16.87 years old (range of 4 months to 59 years), and all patients were of Fitzpatrick skin type IV. Total treatment ranged from 1 to 5 sessions. A 1064 nm picosecond Nd:YAG laser with a mean fluence of 1.8–4.3 J/cm2 was used at 3–12 month intervals. The mean efficacy score for all 16 patients was 2.56 after one session, and the mean efficacy score of 13 patients who completed two sessions and nine patients who completed three sessions were 3.15 and 3.51, respectively. Postinflammatory hyperpigmentation after treatment was only observed in 1 (1/16, 6.25%) patient. The 1064 nm picosecond Nd:YAG laser is an effective and safe approach for treating nevus of Ota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]