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Triplet sisters scarred in fire have new hope

They were three little 17-month-old blondes — identical triplets cute as matching buttons, all nestling together in the same bed — when their house went up in flames. And for the next 20 years, as they grew into beautiful young women, they thought that they would have to live forever with the thick and disfiguring scars that covered their arms, backs, chests and faces.Despite the dramatic adva
/ Source: TODAY contributor

They were three little 17-month-old blondes — identical triplets cute as matching buttons, all nestling together in the same bed — when their house went up in flames. And for the next 20 years, as they grew into beautiful young women, they thought that they would have to live forever with the thick and disfiguring scars that covered their arms, backs, chests and faces.

Despite the dramatic advances in treatment for burn victims in recent years, there wasn’t much that could be done for the type of old scar tissue that Trae, Jordan and Chandra Berns were living with, NBC News’ chief medical editor Dr. Nancy Snyderman told TODAY’s Matt Lauer Thursday in New York.

The Berns triplets, now 22 years old, sat on the couch between Snyderman and Lauer, eager to share how a new laser treatment has dramatically improved their appearance and given them hope that their scars can all but be erased.

Dramatic difference

“When you take scars that are 18 to 20 years old, it’s healed. They’re scarred, and these guys know how stiff and inflexible that tissue is,” Snyderman said.

Now, three months after undergoing treatment with lasers that are normally used to treat severe acne scars, the triplets showed off faces and arms that are dramatically smoother and more uniform in color than the ridged and blotched skin they had lived with for almost their entire lives.

“With my scars, the coloring is definitely all uniform. The scars are so much smoother,” Jordan said, showing off a forearm that looked smooth and only slightly discolored. “It was a lot thicker, and now it’s just really smooth,” she added of her skin.

“My scars are a lot smoother and the texture is a lot better,” Trae agreed.