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Laser and light-based therapies in the management of rosacea: an updated systematic review

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Abstract

Unlike other rosacea therapies which need daily takings or applications over long periods, the edge of lasers and light-based therapies (LLBT) is the limited number of sessions to achieve improvement. The proper selection of the adequate physical device in accordance with the patients’ skin features and rosacea-related signs and symptoms should be considered and the management with physical sources should be updated as new data become available. This article reviews and discusses the current use of lasers and light-based therapies in rosacea with reference to all the available literature.

This systematic review demonstrates the quality of evidence to support any recommendation on LLBT in rosacea is low-to-moderate. Among all the available devices, PDL holds the most robust evidence. Treatments options should be tailored for each specific clinical scenario as it is unlike that single modality results in complete resolution. Platforms that include two or more devices and combined therapies with topical agents are suitable and they warrant further investigations.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Hospital de Baza, Granada, Spain

    Husein Husein-ElAhmed

  2. Translational Research Institute, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar

    Husein Husein-ElAhmed & Martin Steinhoff

  3. Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar

    Martin Steinhoff

  4. College of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Doha, Qatar

    Martin Steinhoff

  5. Medical School, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar

    Martin Steinhoff

  6. Department of Dermatology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA

    Martin Steinhoff

Authors
  1. Husein Husein-ElAhmed
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  2. Martin Steinhoff
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Correspondence to Husein Husein-ElAhmed or Martin Steinhoff.

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HHE and MS declare no financial or commercial conflicts of interest.

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Husein-ElAhmed, H., Steinhoff, M. Laser and light-based therapies in the management of rosacea: an updated systematic review. Lasers Med Sci 36, 1151–1160 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10103-020-03200-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10103-020-03200-1

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