The Role of a 1064-nm Picosecond Laser in Treating Prolonged Bruising Secondary to Liquid Polycaprolactone Injection
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Case Report
Abstract: Liquid-form polycaprolactone (PCL) is an increasingly utilized dermal biostimulator in aesthetic dermatology. We report the case of a 72-year-old man who developed persistent infraorbital bruising following bilateral tear trough injection of liquid PCL. Owing to bruising persisting over six weeks, the patient underwent four weekly sessions of long-pulsed 1064-nm Nd laser therapy with minimal improvement. Subsequently, treatment with a 1064-nm picosecond laser was initiated, followed by resolution of the bruising after two sessions. To our knowledge, this represents the eighth reported case of prolonged bruising after liquid PCL injection and the sixth involving the tear trough region. We hypothesize that sequestration of hemoglobin degradation products within the PCL scaffold may contribute to prolonged bruising. Picosecond laser therapy was associated with clinical improvement in this patient and may represent a potentially useful therapeutic approach for this uncommon complication; however, its efficacy, optimal parameters, mechanism of action, and safety require confirmation in additional patients and controlled studies.
Source: Cureus
Author: Zenus Saleh
Institution: Soliman Fakeeh Hospital
Language: English
Subfield: Dermatology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7221120500