Emerging treatments
Laser and light treatments
Evidence (low quality) suggests that red and blue light therapy may be useful for people with moderate to severe acne.[79][80] Results from studies of pulsed-dye laser therapy (yellow light) are inconsistent.[79] Laser treatment, both ablative and non-ablative, may be used to treat residual acne scarring.[81] One prospective, open-label, single-arm trial of the novel 1726 nm laser reported that approximately 87% of the trial participants demonstrated a ≥50% reduction in active acne inflammatory lesions at 26 weeks in patients with moderate to severe acne.[82] Laser and light therapies are not routinely prescribed; more research is needed to evaluate their effectiveness and to determine any long-term adverse effects.
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In the UK, photodynamic therapy may be considered for patients who are over 18 years old with moderate to severe acne if other treatments are ineffective, not tolerated, or contraindicated.[34]
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