Researchers Find At-Home LED Devices for Acne Treatment Are Safe and Effective for Skincare Routines

In a review and meta-analysis of previous studies, researchers from Mass General Brigham found red and/or blue light devices were effective in treating mild-to -moderate acne.

Acne is commonly managed with treatments aimed at reducing inflammation and the presence of bacteria. At-home LED light therapy devices, including LED masks, offer a non-pharmaceutical treatment option for patients and have gained in popularity. A new systematic review by Mass General Brigham researchers that includes data from six studies and a total of 216 participants indicates that at-home light therapy devices can be considered a safe and effective option for treating mild-to-moderate acne. The findings are published in JAMA Dermatology.

“We found individuals who use red and/or blue LED devices experienced a significant reduction in both inflammatory and non-inflammatory acne lesions compared to the control groups,” said corresponding author John Barbieri, MD, MBA, FAAD, director of the Advanced Acne Therapeutics Clinic at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system. “These devices may serve as a complementary or alternative tool for individuals who experience side effects or insufficient improvement from traditional acne medications.”

Barbieri and co-author Sherry Ershadi, BS, also of the Brigham’s Department of Dermatology, looked at data from randomized controlled trials that compared at-home red and/or blue LED devices to a control treatment (white light, a sham device, or other treatment alternative) in individuals 12 to 50 years old with mild-to-moderate acne. Six studies were included in the review. Researchers found that, compared to those in the control groups, participants who used the LED devices had significantly reduced inflammatory and non-inflammatory acne lesions. In addition to examining the effectiveness of the light therapy, they observed that side effects while using the LED devices were minimal among participants, although mild dryness and irritation were occasionally reported.

The authors note that larger clinical trials will be needed to determine the optimal light wavelengths, treatment durations and device parameters to improve LED device guidelines and maximize efficacy. Additionally, future studies should explore long-term outcomes, patient adherence and comparisons between different LED technologies to refine recommendations for clinical and consumer use.

Disclosures: John Barbieri has received consulting fees from Dexcel Pharma and Honeydew Care for work unrelated to the present study.

Funding: N/A

Paper Cited: Ershadi, S et al. “Efficacy of at-home light emitting diode devices for the treatment of acne vulgaris: A systematic review and meta-analysis" JAMA Dermatology DOI: 10.1001/jamadermatol.2025.0019