Blue-Light Therapy for Acne Vulgaris: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

PURPOSE Antibiotic use in acne treatment raises concerns about increased resistance, necessitating alternatives. We assessed the effectiveness of blue-light therapy for acne. METHODS We analyzed randomized controlled trials comparing blue light with nonlight interventions. Studies included people of any age, sex, and acne severity, in any setting, and reported on investigator-assessed change in acne severity, patients' assessment of improvement, change in inflammatory or noninflammatory lesions, and adverse events. Where data were sufficient, mean differences were calculated. RESULTS Eighteen references (14 trials) including 698 participants were included. Most of the trials were small and short (<12 weeks) and had high risk of bias. Investigator-assessed improvement was quantitatively reported in 5 trials, of which 3 reported significantly greater improvement in blue light than comparator, and 2 reported improvement. Patients' assessments of improvement were quantitatively reported by 2 trials, favoring blue light. Mean difference in the mean number of noninflammatory lesions was nonsignificant between groups at weeks 4, 8, and 10-12 and overall (mean difference [MD] = 3.47; 95% CI,-0.76 to 7.71; P = 0.11). Mean difference in the mean number of inflammatory lesions was likewise nonsignificant between groups at any of the time points and overall (MD = 0.16; 95% CI,-0.99 to 1.31; P = 0.78). Adverse events were generally mild and favored blue light or did not significantly differ between groups. CONCLUSION Methodological and reporting limitations of existing evidence limit conclusions about the effectiveness of blue light for acne. Clinicians and patients should therefore consider the balance between its benefits and adverse events, as well as costs.

Various biological effects of solar radiation on skin and their mechanisms: implications for phototherapy

“…UVR is also a major cause of aging in the skin (Amaro-Ortiz et al 2014 ; Chung et al 2018 ), but it is effective in promoting vitamin D synthesis and improving skin-related diseases, such as psoriasis (Morita 2018 ; Neale et al 2019 ). Blue light also causes oxidative stress, thereby slowing the recovery of skin barriers, and ultimately adversely affecting the skin (Vandersee et al 2015 ; Nakashima et al 2017 ), but also contributing positively to the removal of P. acne (Scott et al 2019 ). Therefore, it is valuable to utilize the beneficial effects of each wavelength of light under the appropriate conditions.…”

“…The positive effects of blue light have been reported in treating acne ( Acne vulgaris ) (Alexiades 2017 ; Scott et al 2019 ). Acne is a skin disease that primarily occurs during puberty and is observed in 85% of the adolescents.…”

Efficient Anticancer Effect on Choroidal Melanoma Cells Induced by Tanshinone IIA Photosensitization

“…TanIIA has four absorption bands in the range of 200–600 nm, and the maximum absorption of TanIIA in visible light spectrum is centered at blue light area. Blue light is widely used in clinical treatment of many dermatological diseases such as neonatal jaundice, acne and psoriasis (14–17). TanIIA is a photoactive molecule and unstable under the exposure of its absorption light, especially for the blue light (18–20).…”

Fluorescent light energy combined with systemic isotretinoin: A 52‐week follow‐up evaluating efficacy and safety in treatment of moderate‐severe acne

“…23,24 Additionally, systemic corticosteroids pose an adjunctive therapy option in cases of severe inflammation, to speed up clearing of lesions for approaches using low starting dose of retinoids. 14,25,26 Finally, optical treatments including laser and light-based therapies (photodynamic therapy (PDT), light-emitting diode (LED), and intense pulsed light (IPL)) have gained increasing interest over the last years as acne treatments [27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45] in an attempt to overcome the limitations associated with the standard established therapies for moderateto-severe acne. 46 Among these newer therapeutic approaches, the use and effectiveness of FLE therapy have been described in the treatment of acne.…”