ABSTRACT
Objective: This 12-week, multicenter, open-label study investigated the efficacy and tolerability of the HydraFacial Clarifying Treatment for improving skin appearance in patients who present with acne vulgaris. Methods: Twenty eligible adult patients with mild-to-moderate acne were enrolled at one of two treatment sites in the United States and were to undergo six HydraFacial Clarifying Treatments, one every two weeks for 12 weeks. Treatment occurs in three steps: cleansing and peeling; suction to extract dead skin cells, sebum, and debris; and application of blue LED light. Acne severity was graded by investigators and by patients using the Global Acne Severity Score (GASS). Results: The proportion of patients with no acne or almost clear skin (GASS ≤1) at baseline versus final treatment increased from 20 to 65 percent per investigator assessment (p=0.0027), and from 5 to 55 percent per patient self-report (p=0.0016). At final treatment, more than 80 to 100 percent of both investigators and patients agreed or strongly agreed there was an improvement in skin appearance across multiple assessment parameters. Treatments were generally well tolerated. Limitations: Due to the nature of the treatment, blinding of neither investigators nor patients was feasible. Conclusion: The results presented here suggest that a series of six HydraFacial Clarifying Treatments improves overall skin appearance in patients with active acne.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Historically, the most effective treatments for skin lightening have contained hydroquinone. However, there is a need for an effective alternative. AIMS: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the skin-lightening efficacy and safety of lignin peroxidase (LIP) creams using a regimen of both day and night products compared with twice-daily application of 2% hydroquinone cream and placebo in Asian women. PATIENTS/METHODS: This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, split-face, single-center study of 51 patients. Patients were randomized to receive day and night LIP cream on one randomly selected side of their face and either 2% hydroquinone cream or placebo on the other. RESULTS: A statistically significant change from baseline in the melanin index was observed in LIP-treated skin, with a mean reduction of 7.6% (P < 0.001) on Day 31. Conversely, hydroquinone and placebo did not provide a statistically significant lightening effect when instrumentally measured. Dermatologist scoring demonstrated a significant improvement in overall fairness as early as 8 days after treatment initiation in the LIP-treated group, which was not observed in the other groups. Overall, patients preferred the LIP creams. CONCLUSIONS: The application of day/night LIP cream provided a significantly more rapid and observable skin-lightening effect than hydroquinone 2% cream or placebo.