At-Home LED Devices Reduce Acne Lesions in Meta-Analysis

March 05, 2025

At-home light-emitting diode (LED) devices using red and/or blue light significantly reduced acne lesions and showed a favorable safety profile in patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris.

"At-home LED devices, particularly those that combine red and blue light, are efficacious for acne and can likely complement other over-the-counter and prescription treatments," the authors wrote. “Additional studies comparing the relative efficacy of different wavelengths, fluences, and treatment protocols are necessary to identify the optimal treatment approach for acne vulgaris with light,” they added.

The study authors were Sherry Ershadi, BS, and John Barbieri, MD, MBA, Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston. It was published online on March 5 in JAMA Dermatology.

Moderate to high heterogeneity between studies was a limitation. These findings might not be generalizable to other devices, and publication bias could be present.

The authors did not disclose any study funding source. One author reported receiving consulting fees from pharmaceutical companies outside the submitted work.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.

Send comments and news tips to [email protected].