While dermatologists and others are increasingly using lasers and light-based therapies to treat acne, the literature proving efficacy among these therapies is limited by few high-powered trials and lots of small, low-quality studies, according to a review of the medical literature on the use of laser therapy for the treatment of active acne vulgaris.

The need and potential demand for an alternative to medical therapy makes this topic timely, according to the study’s senior author Arielle R. Nagler, M.D., assistant professor in The Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology at NYU Langone Health, New York City.

“We’re at a point in acne where there have been some advances, but we are in need of additional therapeutic options. Lasers are other treatment modalities that we should consider,” Dr. Nagler says. “They provide an alternative modality, especially now patients are generally very interested and excited about lasers.”