Facial wrinkles can be reduced by almost half with laser surgery, according to a study in the Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery journal.

Carbon dioxide laser resurfacing has previously been linked to side effects that include scarring and acne. But new research suggests that the treatment is safe and after two years, patients experience an average 45% reduction in the number of wrinkles and fine lines on their faces.

The treatment works by removing layers of damaged skin as well as stimulating the face to “fill in” wrinkles by producing more collagen, the elastic material that helps give skin its shape.

Researchers looked at 47 patients, with an average age of 52, who received the treatment between 1996 and 2004. Half developed either acne or darkening of the skin following the procedure but most of the side effects cleared up within two years. At that stage, the volunteers were measured according to an agreed score to determine the reduction in the number of wrinkles. On average, patients had 45% fewer lines and wrinkles across all areas of their faces than before the laser surgery, although some had up to 50% fewer.

Drummers Match Stamina of Top Soccer Players

Drumming provides a workout as tough as playing a Premier League soccer match, scientists have discovered.

Researchers found that the heart rate of a drummer who performed for 90 minutes rose to the level reached by the average top-flight soccer player — and for the same period of time.

The study featured Clem Burke, the drummer in Blondie, which is celebrating the 30th anniversary of “Parallel Lines,” the album that featured hits such as “Hanging on the Telephone” and “Heart of Glass.” It found that his body was put under such stress during a concert that his heart averaged between 140 and 150 beats per minute, even reaching as high as 190.

He also burned up to 600 calories per hour during the trials carried out by the Universities of Chichester and Gloucestershire.

The tests on Mr. Burke involved measuring his heart rate, oxygen uptake, and lactic acid levels in his blood during rehearsals and monitoring his heart rate and blood lactate levels during stage performances.

Marcus Smith of the University of Chichester said: “If you looked at the heart rates of a Premiership footballer and Clem over 90 minutes, you wouldn’t know which was which.

“Footballers can normally expect to play 40 to 50 games a year. But in one 12-month period Clem played 90-minute sets at 100 concerts.

“When you consider the implications of the touring on top of the performance requirements for high-profile drummers, it is clear that their fitness levels need to be outstanding.”

Scientists behind the Clem Burke Drumming Project will work with the Department of Sport, Health and Social Care at the University of Gloucestershire to develop programmes to help overweight youngsters to get fit. A drumming laboratory is being built at Gloucestershire’s Oxstalls campus.