Use of lasers and light-based therapies for treatment of acne vulgaris.

Over the last two decades, lasers and light-based therapies have been developed to treat a wide variety of cutaneous maladies. Given the prevalence and number of patients who suffer from refractory acne, alternatives to existing care are constantly sought after. In this review, we discuss the evidence currently available to justify the use of laser and light-based modalities and conclude that in combination therapy, such approaches provide a safe and effective treatment for acne vulgaris. (c) 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.