Home-based devices in dermatology: a systematic review of safety and efficacy

Abstract

There is increasing demand for home-based devices for the treatment of dermatologic conditions and cosmesis. Commercially available devices include intense pulsed light, laser diodes, radiofrequency, light-emitting diodes, and ultraviolet B phototherapy. The objective of this report is to evaluate the current evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of home-based devices for the treatment of skin conditions. A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, and Cinahl was conducted on November 9, 2020 using PRISMA guidelines. Original research articles that investigated the efficacy and safety of home-based devices for dermatologic use were included. Bibliographies were screened for additional relevant articles. Strength of evidence was graded using the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine guidelines. Clinical recommendations were then made based on the quality of the existing literature. After review, 37 clinical trials were included—19 were randomized controlled trials, 16 were case series, and 2 were non-randomized controlled trials. Ultimately, from our analysis, we recommend the home-based use of intense pulsed light for hair removal, laser diodes for androgenic alopecia, low power radiofrequency for rhytides and wrinkles, and light-emitting diodes for acne vulgaris. Trials investigating ultraviolet B phototherapy for psoriasis revealed mixed evidence for home treatments compared to clinic treatments. All devices had favorable safety profiles with few significant adverse events. Limitations to our review include a limited number of randomized controlled trials as well as a lack of data on the long-term efficacy and safety of each device.

Effectiveness of a Radiofrequency Device for Rejuvenation of Aged Skin at Home: A Randomized Split-Face Clinical Trial

“…In the past few years, the emergence of RF home beauty devices has generated great interest among dermatologists and consumers [9]. Their efficacy and safety also became the focus of attention.…”

“…At present, many studies on home RF cosmetology are open-label, intra-individual controlled trials [9].. The present trial followed a randomized controlled design, and a commercially available anti-wrinkle cosmetic agent was used as a control.…”

Wrinkles improvement in facial and periorbital regions with two different radio-frequencies from the same device head

“…In turn, the home-use beauty devices developed according to these technologies also attracted more attention from people and dermatologists [11] . Among them, the RF home beauty device can be considered the most attractive [12] . Actually, RF is an electromagnetic wave that induces the movement of water molecules in the dermis, and then thermal energy is generated.…”

Visible red light does not induce DNA damage in human dermal fibroblasts

“…Since 2012, such treatments have increased by 106% [3]. Additionally, use of at‐home phototherapy devices is rapidly growing as consumer home‐use products become more readily available for purchase [4].…”

“…RL is a valuable, noninvasive and cost‐effective treatment for skin conditions. Of the visible wavelengths, red light (630‐700 nm) has the deepest tissue penetration, allowing it to target dermal cells such as fibroblasts [4, 5]. RL may be an effective alternative treatment for wound healing, skin rejuvenation, acne vulgaris, actinic keratosis, and premalignant and malignant lesions [2, 5–7].…”