A novel photopneumatic (PPX) technology was developed for acne vulgaris (AV) treatment. It combinesbroadb and intense pulsed light (IPL) and blue light-emitting diode (LED) along with vacuum pressure.

The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of PPX and IPL monotherapy in acne vulgaris patients. 50 patients with mild to moderate AV were enrolled. Five successive treatments were done on one side of the face with a combined PPX device. The opposite side of the face was treated with only IPL with the equal fluences at 2-week intervals. Clinical improvement was assessed by inflammatory and non-inflammatory total number of acne lesions. Also, patient self-assessment scores were evaluated.

The results of the study showed that the total number of inflammatory and non-inflammatory acne lesions significantly improved on both sides of the face after treatment. Both inflammatory and non-inflammatory acne lesions were reduced significantly on the side that was treated with PPX as compared to the side treated with IPL alone. 38 out of 44 patients reported slight to moderate improvement on the patient self-assessment score. There was no significant side effect observed during the study periods. Thus the study concluded that PPX therapy is an effective and safe option to treat mild to moderate AV. The study also demonstrated the superior efficacy of PPX therapy for the treatment of AV as compared to IPL monotherapy.

Source: Kim JE, Park BJ, Yu SR, et al. A split-face comparative trial of photopneumatic therapy versus intense pulsed light for the treatment of acne vulgaris. J Cosmet Laser Ther. 2020 Oct 18:1-5. doi: 10.1080/14764172.2020.1827149. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33070649.