Treatment of Becker's nevi with a long-pulse alexandrite laser

BACKGROUND Becker's nevus (BN) can be a distressing cosmetic handicap for patients and a treatment challenge for physicians. Various treatment modalities have been used, but repigmentation commonly occurs after treatment. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy of long-pulse alexandrite laser in the treatment of BN. MATERIALS AND METHODS Eleven Korean patients with Fitzpatrick skin type III to V were included in this study. A long-pulsed alexandrite laser with a wavelength of 755 nm and a pulse duration of 3 ms was used. Patients were treated with a fluence of 20 to 25 J/cm2 and a spot size of 15 to 18 mm. Cryogen spray cooling was not used. RESULTS Two patients had excellent responses, five had good responses, and four had fair responses. Hair density simultaneously decreased with treatment in all patients. Although mild hypopigmentation was observed in some patients, and partial hypertrophic scarring was observed in one patient, the outcomes were cosmetically acceptable. No repigmentation was noted during the follow-up period. CONCLUSION A long-pulsed alexandrite laser without cryogen spray cooling is an effective and safe alternative in the treatment of BN.