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.
K E Y W O R D S
inflammatory acne, IPL, Nd:YAG, noninflammatory acne