Phototherapy of acne vulgaris with visible light.

BACKGROUND

Sun exposure has a beneficial effect on acne vulgaris, but it is not clear which wavelengths contribute to the favourable effect.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of visible light on acne vulgaris and define the most effective wavelengths.

METHODS

Thirty patients (15 men and 15 women) with mild to moderate acne vulgaris, involving the face and/or the back and/or the chest, were treated with three different light sources. They were treated 3 times a week, for a total of 7 weeks, each field for 20 min per session.

RESULTS

All the light sources using 'full spectrum', green and violet improved the acne, leading to 14% (p > 0.10), 22% (p < 0.05) and 30% (p < 0.02) improvement, respectively. No statistically significant differences between the three different light sources were found, although there was a tendency that violet light was better than the other light qualities. No side-effects were observed.

CONCLUSION

Visible light is a moderately effective alternative for treatment of acne vulgaris.