Clinical efficacy of low power intense pulse d light in 104 patients with sensitive facial skin.

Abstract

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of donble-wave, low power intense pulsed light in the treatment for sensitive facial skin. Methods A total of 104 patients with sensitive facial skin, including 77 patients with facial steroid dermatitis and 27 recurrent facial dermatitis, were treated with dou-ble-wave, low power intense pulsed light with an interval of 3 weeks. Five sessions of treatment served as a course and patients received 1 to 2 courses of treatment or were treated till the recovery. The grading of response was recorded on the basis of subsidence of lesions and improvement of subjective symptoms: grades were given as cure with > 90%, excellence with 60% - 89%, and improvement with 30% - 59%, of subsidence and relief of subjective symptom, and no effect with < 30% subsidence and unrelieved or exacer-bated symptoms. Results After 1 to 2 treatment courses, cure was achieved in 58 (75.32%) patients with facial steroid dermatitis and 19 (70.37%) patients with recurrent facial dermatitis, and excellent response was observed in 11 (14.29%) patients with facial steroid dermatitis and 5 (18.52%) patients with recurrent facial dermatitis. The total effective rates were 89.61% (69/77) and 88.89% (24/27) in patients with facial steroid dermatitis and those with recurrent facial dermatitis, respectively. Side effects included exacerbation of erythema in 2 patients, development of small papules and pustules in 3 demodex-positive patients, and tran-sient mild etythema and desquamation in 3 patients. Conclusion Double-wave and low power intense pulsed light is a safe and effective treatment for sensitive facial skin. Key words: Photons; Face; Skin diseases; Treatment outcome