Comparison of Stacked-Pulses Vs. Double-Pass Treatments of Facial Acne With a 1450 Nm Laser

Numerous light based therapies are currently being used for the treatment of acne. Non-ablative mid-infrared lasers have the advantage of decreasing inflammatory acne and improving acne scars. Specifically, the 1450 nm laser has been shown to be quite effective. However, it is associated with considerable pain at higher fluences despite topical anesthetics, especially when treating inflammatory acne. The goal of this study was to determine the possibility of using low fluence settings to treat moderate to severe acne at a more tolerable pain level without compromising treatment effectiveness.

Inclusion criteria

• acne lesion count of at least 10 inflammatory papules on each side of the face and a severity grade consistent with color photographs in the Allen & Smith grading scale of greater than or equal to grade 3 and no worse than grade 5

Exclusion criteria

• Exclusion criteria included the use of oral retinoids or systemic corticosteroids within the past 6 months and the use of all prescription topical or systemic anti-acne medications 4 weeks prior to the initiation of the study