Smooth Trial

What is the problem?

Laser therapy involves firing small beams of light at a scar. These lasers are thought to stimulate the production of collagen (the protein found in skin.) 

It is used to improve how scars look and feel. It has also been used to address one of the biggest problems with life-changing scars: the loss of function. Scar tissue is tight and inflexible which can affect how well people move. But in some people, laser therapy loosens scarring. 

But despite its growing popularity, there is limited research into how laser therapy works, or whether it is effective.  

What are the researchers doing? 

This study aims to find out whether laser therapy breaks down scar tissue from burn and blast injuries. The researchers are working with a group of patients with mature burns scars (over 1-year old) to see what happens to their scars after laser therapy.  

Crucially, the team wants to understand how laser therapy works at a cellular level. To do this, the researchers will take tissue samples from patients before, during, and after the laser therapy treatment. Scientists will examine these samples to identify why laser therapy works – they might even be able to suggest adjustments to make the treatment better. 

At the end of this project, the researchers will be able to define what factors mean a scar is “better” after laser therapy. They’ll also have had the chance to test out scar assessment tools, and explore what is happening in the skin during laser therapy. 

What difference will this research make? 

The “gold standard” for research is the Randomised Control Trial. This is a type of study where a number of similar people are randomly assigned to two groups. One group has the new treatment and the other one does not. At the end of the trial, the groups are compared to see if the treatment has made a difference.  

At the moment, there have been no Randomised Control Trials to test whether laser therapy is effective or not. This means there is no reliable, unbiased data available to say whether laser therapy is a good treatment for scarring.  

This project is the first step towards a larger RCT, which will be able to look not only how effective laser therapy is, but what factors influence how effective it is: like gender, skin type, and age.  

If an RCT finds that laser therapy is effective, it will be an invaluable new tool that doctors and patients can use to treat scars.