A comparative study of intense pulse light alone for treatment of facial acne in Asian skin and in combining photodyamic therapy.

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Skin reaction with intense pulsed light (IPL) on Asian skin often differs from that on Caucasian. This study was to evaluate the reduction of acne using IPL in Asians and any enhanced effects when combining IPL with photodynamic therapy (PDT) using topical 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA). METHODS: 22 Chinese patients with phototypes IV or V and moderate acne were enrolled for a randomized half facial treatments with IPL, ALA-IPL or controls. All applied adapalene gel 0.1% on the whole face during this period. 20% ALA was applied to half of the face 30 minutes prior to IPL. IPL by the Ellipse Flex system (Danish Dermatologic Development, Denmark) emitting wavelengths of 530–750 nm was used. Patients were treated 4 times at 3-week intervals. Single passes with double pulses with 10 ms delay and pulse duration of 2.5 ms were used. RESULTS: Eighteen patients completed fourth treatment and most had reduction of inflammatory acne that was statistically significant on the ALA-treated side (p?0.025) and control side (p?0.031). Mean reduction in inflammatory lesions was 54.1% after 4 weeks, and 57.7% 12 weeks after treatment in ALA-IPL group while clearance in IPL group were 22.2% after 4 weeks and 41.5% after 12 weeks. However, the control group had the best clearance at 4 week (55.9%) and at 12 week (87.1%) without statistically significant difference between the control and intervention groups. CONCLUSIONS: ALA-PDT combined with IPL using the same settings in Asians was not effective for moderate acne as in Caucasians.