TOPLINE:
At-home light-emitting diode (LED) devices using red and/or blue light significantly reduced acne lesions and showed a favorable safety profile in patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris.
METHODOLOGY:
- Researchers conducted a meta-analysis of six randomized clinical trials that assessed portable or at-home red and/or blue LED devices for acne treatment.
- A total of 216 study participants with mild to moderate acne vulgaris (ages 12-50 years) received treatment for 2 days to 12 weeks.
- Blue light devices operated at wavelengths of 414-445 nm, while red light devices operated at wavelengths of 630-670 nm, with treatment regimens varying from 2 to 15 minutes per session.
- Study outcomes included absolute or percentage change in lesion count and improvement in Investigator Global Assessment (IGA) scores.
TAKEAWAY:
- Compared with controls, LED devices led to a 45.3% reduction in inflammatory lesions (95% CI, 25.1%-65.5%; five studies) and a 47.7% reduction in noninflammatory lesions (95% CI, 18.0%-77.4%; four studies).
- IGA improvement was 45.7% (95% CI, 29.1%-62.4%; four studies).
- Red, blue, and combination LED devices demonstrated efficacy, with combination wavelengths showing the greatest improvement. Improvement was observed after 4-12 weeks of use.
- No severe adverse effects were reported; a few patients experienced adverse effects, such as mild dryness, erythema, and discomfort.
IN PRACTICE:
"At-home LED devices, particularly those that combine red and blue light, are efficacious for acne and can likely complement other over-the-counter and prescription treatments," the authors wrote. “Additional studies comparing the relative efficacy of different wavelengths, fluences, and treatment protocols are necessary to identify the optimal treatment approach for acne vulgaris with light,” they added.
SOURCE:
The study authors were Sherry Ershadi, BS, and John Barbieri, MD, MBA, Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston. It was published online on March 5 in JAMA Dermatology.
LIMITATIONS:
Moderate to high heterogeneity between studies was a limitation. These findings might not be generalizable to other devices, and publication bias could be present.
DISCLOSURES:
The authors did not disclose any study funding source. One author reported receiving consulting fees from pharmaceutical companies outside the submitted work.
This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.