Evaluation of the Efficacy of Plasma Shower and 585 Nm Q-Switched Laser in the Treatment of Mild to Moderate Acne Vulgaris.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to comparatively evaluate the clinical efficacy, safety profiles, and effects on different clinical components of plasma shower and 585 nm Q-Switch laser in the treatment of mild to moderate acne vulgaris.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

A total of 47 patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris were prospectively enrolled and allocated to either plasma shower (n = 24) or 585 nm Q-Switch laser (n = 23) treatment groups. Acne severity was assessed using the Global Acne Grading System (GAGS) at three time points: Baseline, week 2, and week 4. Repeated measures ANOVA and independent samples t-test were used for statistical analysis.

RESULTS

An average improvement of 42.5% in GAGS scores was observed in the plasma shower group at the fourth week, while this rate was 32.2% in the 585 nm Q-Switch laser group. This difference between the two groups was statistically significant (p = 0.007). Clinical observations revealed that the plasma shower provided faster and more pronounced regression in inflammatory papules and pustules, while the 585 nm Q-Switch laser was more effective on post-inflammatory erythema. Both methods were found to be safe and well-tolerated by patients.

CONCLUSION

Plasma shower appears to be more effective than the 585 nm Q-Switch laser in the treatment of mild to moderate acne vulgaris, particularly in reducing active inflammatory lesions. The 585 nm Q-Switch laser is a valuable treatment option for the removal of post-inflammatory erythema. Clinicians may choose between these modalities or develop combined protocols based on the predominant clinical component of acne.