Nd:YAG laser vs IPL in inflammatory and noninflammatory acne lesion treatment

摘要： Background: Several topical and systemic therapies are available for the treatment of acne vulgaris but are associated with several limitations, and recently, intense pulse light (IPL) and long-pulsed 1064 nm Nd: YAG laser have shown efficacy. Aims: The current study aimed to compare the efficacy of Nd:YAG laser and IPL in inflammatory and noninflammatory acne lesions. Patients and Methods: Thirty patients with inflammatory and noninflammatory facial acne were assigned randomly and equally into two groups, the Nd:YAG and IPL groups. The patients received three sessions of laser 2 weeks apart, and the clinical improvement was assessed by the reduction in the number of lesions. Results: At baseline, the two groups showed a nonsignificant difference as regards total number (P = .476), inflammatory (P = .457), and noninflammatory lesions (P = .420). The improvement in total lesions was significant in the Nd:YAG Group but nonsignificant in the IPL Group (P < .001, P = .13, respectively). Three patients (20%) in the IPL Group showed exacerbation after the first and second sessions. One month after the last session, the difference in improvement between noninflammatory and inflammatory lesions showed a significant difference in the Nd:YAG Group (P = .017) and a nonsignificant difference in the IPL Group (P = .823). Nd:YAG, compared to the IPL Group, showed a significant difference as regards the improvement score in noninflammatory lesions (P = .0099) and a nonsignificant difference in inflammatory lesions (P = .4295). Conclusion: The significant improvement in noninflammatory lesions and the absence of a significant flare-up of acne as seen among patients treated with IPL make Nd:YAG a better therapeutic modality for acne.