Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Medical Informatics
Date Submitted: May 17, 2025
Date Accepted: Mar 6, 2026
Date Submitted to PubMed: Mar 7, 2026
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
CO2 Laser Popularity in Germany: A Five-Year Google Trends Analysis (2020-2025)
ABSTRACT
Background:
Fractional carbon dioxide (CO₂) laser resurfacing is widely used for the treatment of scars and photoaging. In recent years, public interest in minimally invasive aesthetic procedures has grown, influenced by social media exposure and changing beauty norms. However, data quantifying population-level attention to CO₂ laser treatments in Germany are limited.
Objective:
This study aimed to assess long-term trends and seasonal patterns in public interest in fractional CO₂ laser treatments in Germany using Google Trends data.
Methods:
Weekly normalized search interest for Germany for the topic “CO2 laser” was retrieved from Google Trends for the period May 2020 to April 2025. A 12-week moving average was applied to smooth short-term fluctuations. Monthly means were compared using one-way analysis of variance to assess seasonal variation. Yearly means were analyzed via linear regression to test for long-term trends.
Results:
Search volume for “CO2 laser” increased steadily over the observed period, indicating a growing level of public interest. A significant seasonal pattern was also found, with interest peaking in winter and dipping during summer months. Both the upward trend over time and the monthly variation were statistically significant.
Conclusions:
Public interest in fractional CO₂ laser treatments in Germany has increased significantly over the past five years, with consistent seasonal peaks in winter. These findings reflect broader patterns in aesthetic behavior and may inform the timing of educational messaging and policy considerations related to laser safety and informed patient access. Clinical Trial: -
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