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Copied with permission from the Dr.
Kern website.
 PHOTOTHERAPY
WITH SKIN CARE UNIT BEAUTY SKIN
(BLUE 415 NM AND RED 660 NM LIGHT)
IN THE TREATMENT OF MILD TO MODERATE
ACNE VULGARIS
Chu AC,
Katsambas A*, Papgeorgiou P. Unit of
Dermatology, Imperial College of
Science, Technology and Medicine,
Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK and
* Andreas Sygros Hospital, Athens,
Greece.
Propionibacterium
acnes contain porphyrins which can
be excited by light at 415 nm
leading to killing of the bacteria.
Light at 660 nm has been shown to
have an impact on wound healing. For
these reasons, we conducted a study
to examine the efficacy of light at
415 nm and 660 nm in the treatment
of mild to moderate acne vulgaris.
107 patients with
mild to moderate acne vulgaris were
recruited into the study with
informed, written consent and were
randomized into 4 treatment groups –
blue light at 415 nm, mixed blue
(415 nm) and red (660 nm) light,
cool white light and 5% benzoyl
peroxide cream. Patients in the
photo therapy groups were provided
with portable light sources and
irradiation was carried out daily
for 15 minutes with eye protection.
The benzoyl peroxide was used twice
daily. Patients were reviewed each
four weeks for 12 weeks.
At the end of the
trial a 76% improvement in
inflammatory lesions was observed in
the blue/red light treated group
which was significantly superior to
the blue light, white light or
benzoyl peroxide treated groups. The
final mean improvement in comedones
in the blue/red light treated group
was 58% which was better than the
other treatment groups but this did
not reach statistical significance.
Patients and investigator
assessments at the end of the trial
showed >80% of patients in the
blue/red light treatment groups
showing a moderate to marked
improvement in their acne.
Few side effects
were observed in any treatment
groups. 20% of patients in the
benzoyl peroxide group complained of
dryness or irritation of the skin.
One patients using the blue/red
light treatment observed transient
redness of the skin after treatment.
The results of this study
demonstrate the value of this novel
treatment modality in the treatment
of mild to moderate acne vulgaris.
A C Chu, FRCP
Senior Lecturer/ Honorary Consultant
Dermatologist
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