A Pilot Study of ICG Laser Therapy of Acne Vulgaris: Photodynamic and Photothermolysis Treatment

In a pilot study conducted in 2003, researchers investigated the effectiveness of near-infrared (NIR) diode laser phototherapy combined with topical indocyanine green (ICG) for treating acne vulgaris. Twenty-two volunteers with facial or back acne participated. The treatment involved staining the skin with ICG and irradiating it with NIR laser-diode light at wavelengths of 803 or 809 nm. Different protocols were tested, including low-intensity, medium-intensity, and high power densities, with single and multiple treatments up to 8-9 sessions. The results observed over 1-2 months indicated that the soft acne treatment protocols reduced the number of active acne lesions, decreased erythema and inflammation, and significantly improved skin condition without side effects. High power densities effectively destroyed ICG-stained inflammatory acne elements with 0.5-second light exposures. The study concluded that ICG-enhanced NIR laser therapy could be a promising method for the clinical treatment of acne, leveraging the selective uptake of ICG by components of the pilosebaceous unit.