Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Intense pulsed light versus benzoyl peroxide 5 % gel in treatment of acne vulgaris

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Lasers in Medical Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Acne is a common disorder affecting the pilosebaceous unit. Despite many advances in the treatments of acne vulgaris the best option is still controversial as the pathogenesis of acne is rather complex, necessitating various combination therapies. The objective of this study is to compare the clinical efficacy of intense pulsed light therapy (IPL) versus benzoyl peroxide 5 % for the treatment of inflammatory acne. Fifty patients of both sexes, (15 males and 35 females) aged (18–27 years), with mild-to-severe acne and Fitzpatrick skin phototype IV were enrolled in this study. The patients were equally divided into two groups. The first group was treated by benzoyl peroxide while the second group was treated by IPL. For both therapies, patients experienced a significant reduction in the mean of the inflammatory lesion counts over the treatment period. Comparing the effects of both therapies, BP produced better results than IPL. The difference in the results was statistically significant at the midpoint of the study. However, this difference was insignificant at the end of study. Treatment with both benzoyl peroxide and IPL resulted in considerable improvement of the acne after 5 weeks of treatment. Comparing the effects of both therapies, BP produced better results than IPL. The difference in the results was statistically significant at the midpoint of the study. However, this difference was insignificant at the end of study.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Gollnick H, Cunliffe W, Berson D (2003) Management of acne: A report from a Global Alliance to Improve Outcomes in Acne. J Am Acad Derm 49(1 Suppl):S1–S37

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Coates P, Vyakrnam S, Ravenscroft JC (2005) Efficacy of oral isotretinoin in the control of skin and nasal colonization by antibiotic-resistant propionibacteria in patients with acne. Br J Dermatol 153:1126–1136

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Yeung CK, Shek SY, Bjerring P, Yu CS, Kono T, Chan HH (2007) A comparative study of intense pulsed light aloneand its combination with photodynamic therapy for thetreatment of facial acne in Asian skin. Lasers Surg Med 39(1):1–6

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Bhardwaj SS, Rohrer TE, Arndt K (2005) Lasers and light therapy for acne vulgaris. Semin Cutan Med Surg 24:107–112

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Gold MH, Bradshaw VL, Boring MM, Bridges TM, Biron JA, Carter LN (2004) The use of a novel intense pulsed light and heat source and ALA-PDT in the treatment of moderate to severe inflammatory acne vulgaris. J Drugs Dermatol 3(6 Suppl):S15–S19

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Toyoda M, Morohashi M (2001) Pathogenesis of acne: Review. Med Electron Microsc 34(1):29–40

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Rathi SK (2011) acne vulgaris treatment: The current scenario. Indian J Dermatol 56(1):7–13

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Elsaie ML, Choudhary S, Kammer JN (2009) New insights into adolescent acne. G Ital Dermatol Venereol 144(6):645–661

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Bikowski J (2010) A review of the safety and efficacy of benzoyl peroxide (5.3%) emollient foam in the management of truncal acne vulgaris. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol 3(11):26–29

    PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Elsaie ML, Abdelhamid MF, Elsaaiee LT, Emam HM (2009) The efficacy of topical 2% green tea lotion in mild-to-moderate acne vulgaris. J Drugs Dermatol 4:358–364

    Google Scholar 

  11. Ellis CN, Leyden J, Katz HI, Goldfarb MT, Hickman J, Jones TM, Tschen E (2001) Therapeutic studies with a new combination benzoyl peroxide/clindamycin topical gel in acne vulgaris. Cutis 67(S 2):13–20

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Cunliffe WJ, Holland KT, Bojar R (2002) A randomized, double-blind comparison of a clindamycin phosphate benzoyl peroxide gel formulation and a matching clindamycin gel with respect to microbiologic activity and clinical efficacy in the topical treatment of acne vulgaris. Clin Ther 24:1117–1133

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Babilas P (2010) Light-assisted therapy in dermatology: The use of intense pulsed light (IPL). Medical Laser Appl 25(2):61–69

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Ludgate MW and Orringer JS (2011) Inflammatory Dermatoses: Acne. In Raulin C and Karsai S (ed.), Laser and IPL Technology in Dermatology and Aesthetic Medicine. Springer, P.85

  15. Kumaresan M, Srinivas CR (2010) Efficacy of IPL in treatment of acne vulgaris : Comparison of single- and burst-pulse mode in IPL. Indian J Dermatol 55(4):370–372

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Degitz K (2009) Phototherapy, photodynamic therapy and lasers in the treatment of acne. J Dtsch Dermatol Ges 7(12):1048–1053

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Sami NA, Attia AT, Badawi AM (2008) Phototherapy in the treatment of acne vulgaris. J Drugs Dermatol 7(7):627–632

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Chang SE, Ahn SJ, Rhee DY, Choi JH, Moon KC, Suh HS, Cho S (2007) Treatment of Facial Acne Papules and Pustules in KoreanPatients Using an Intense Pulsed Light Device Equipped witha 530- to 750-nm Filter. Dermatol Surg 33:676–679

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Kawana S, Tachihara R, Kato T, Omi T (2010) Effect of Smooth Pulsed Light at 400 to 700 and 870 to 1,200 nm for Acne Vulgaris in Asian Skin. Dermatol Surg 36:52–57

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Choi YS, Suh HS, Yoon MY, Min SU, Lee DH, Suh DH (2010) Intense pulsed light vs. pulsed-dye laser in the treatment of facial acne: A randomized split-face trial. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 24:773–780

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Hayashi N, Akamatsu H, Kawashima M (2008) Acne Study Group. Establishment of grading criteria for acne severity. J Dermatol 35:255–260

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Sagransky M, Yentzer BA, Feldman SR (2009) Benzoyl peroxide: a review of its current use in the treatment of acne vulgaris. Expert Opin Pharmacother 10(15):2555–2562

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Seidler EM, Alexa B, Kimball MPH (2010) Meta-analysis comparing efficacy of benzoyl peroxide, clindamycin, benzoyl peroxide with salicylic acid, and combination benzoyl peroxide/clindamycin in acne. J Am Acad Derm 63(1):52–62

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Nascimento LV, Guedes ACM, Magalha GM, de Faria FA, Guerra RM, Almeida CF (2003) Single-blind and comparative clinical study of theefficacy and safety of benzoyl peroxide 4% gel(BID) and adapalene 0.1% Gel (QD) in the treatment of acne vulgaris for 11 weeks. J Dermatol Treat 14:166–171

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Hunt MJ, Barnetson RS (1992) acomparative study of gluconolactone versus benzoyl peroxide in the treatment of acne. Aust J Dermatol 33:131–134

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Bucknall JH, Murdoch PNT (1977) Comparison of tretinoin solution and benzoyl peroxide lotion in the treatment of acne vulgaris. Curr Med Res Opin 5:266

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Burke B, Eady EA, Cunliffe WJ (1983) Benzoyl peroxide versus topical erythromycin in thetreatment of acne vulgaris. Br J Dermatol 108:199–204

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Barikbin B, Ayatollahi A, Younespour S, Hejazi S (2011) Evaluation of Efficacy of Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) System in the Treatment of Facial Acne Vulgaris: Comparision of Different Pulse Durations; a Pilot Study. J Lasers Med Sci 2(2):67–72

    Google Scholar 

  29. Elman M, Lask G (2004) The role of pulsed light and heat energy (LHE) in acne clearance. J Cosmet Laser Ther 6(2):91–95

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Elsaie ML, Choudary S (2010) Photodynamic therapy in the management of acne : An update. J Cosmet Dermatol 9(3):211–217

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Andrology, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt

    Azmy Ahmed Abd El-latif, Faisal Abdel Aziz Hassan, Ahmed Rashad Elshahed & Amr Ghareeb Mohamed

  2. Department of Dermatology and Venereology, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt

    Mohamed L. Elsaie

Authors
  1. Azmy Ahmed Abd El-latif
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Faisal Abdel Aziz Hassan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ahmed Rashad Elshahed
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Amr Ghareeb Mohamed
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Mohamed L. Elsaie
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mohamed L. Elsaie.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

El-latif, A.A.A., Hassan, F.A.A., Elshahed, A.R. et al. Intense pulsed light versus benzoyl peroxide 5 % gel in treatment of acne vulgaris. Lasers Med Sci 29, 1009–1015 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10103-013-1440-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10103-013-1440-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation