Comparison Of Effectiveness And Duration Of Recovery Of Acne Vulgaris Treatment Using A Topical, Topical Plus Systemic, And Topical Plus Laser

Abstract

Background: Acne vulgaris is a common skin condition mainly affecting those in puberty and young adults. Conventional treatments like topical and systemic medications have limitations such as high discontinuation rates due to side effects, poor response or delayed therapeutic effect.   Laser treatment can be used as an alternative treatment.

Objective: This study compared the treatment effectiveness and recovery duration between topical, topical plus systemic, and topical plus laser in treating acne vulgaris.

Material and Method: Ninety patients with a diagnosis of acne vulgaris who received treatment at Erha Dermatologi private clinics in Medan and Jakarta were followed up prospectively for 12 weeks. Patients were divided into three treatment groups (topical only, topical plus systemic, and topical plus laser) of their choice. Treatment efficacy was compared based on the number of lesions, IGA, and recovery time, and was measured at baseline, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks of treatment.

Results: All treatment modalities resulted in significant improvement in acne lesions at the end of 3 months. However, the topical plus laser group had faster and more significant improvement compared to topical and topical plus systemic, with p-value < 0.01.

Conclusion: All therapies were effective at 12 weeks, but the combination of topical plus laser treatment showed the fastest and most consistent improvement from week 4, with the potential for long-term cost-effectiveness.