Acne vulgaris
At-home LED devices for acne vulgaris systematic review and meta-analysis
Ershadi A, Barbieri JS. JAMA Dermatology. 2025.
A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis focused specifically on at-home LED devices for acne vulgaris.
Evidence grade
moderate
Effect direction
positive
Panel relevance
partially-replicable
Key findings
- The review included six studies with 216 participants.
- At-home or portable red and/or blue LED devices improved inflammatory lesions, noninflammatory lesions, and investigator global assessment versus control.
- No severe adverse events were reported; mild dryness, erythema, or discomfort occurred in some studies.
Protocol details
| Wavelengths | 630, 670, 414, 445 nm |
|---|---|
| Irradiance | Not reported mW/cm2 |
| Fluence | Not reported J/cm2 |
| Session time | Not reported minutes |
| Frequency | Varied across at-home LED studies |
| Duration | 2 days to 12 weeks across included studies |
| Treatment area | Acne-affected facial skin |
| Device type | At-home or portable red and/or blue LED acne devices |
Caveats
- The evidence combines red and blue LED protocols, so it is not red-only proof.
- Acne severity, lesion type, and concurrent skin care matter.