IPL With Skincare Enhances Rosacea Outcomes

A skincare regimen that includes a phyto-corrective mask, gel, and resveratrol antioxidant serum may complement intense pulsed light (IPL)-based treatments for patients with rosacea and enhance outcomes, researchers reported in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology.

The prospective, open-label, 3-month study enrolled 10 women who presented to a private aesthetic surgery practice with moderate to severe facial rosacea including persistent erythema and telangiectasia. Eligible participants were aged 18 to 80 years.

On day 1, the patients had IPL treatment of their rosacea on both sides of the face. They also applied the following treatment to the right side of the face only: phyto-corrective gel twice daily; resveratrol antioxidant treatment at night; and the phyto-corrective mask once per week.

All participants attended 3 follow-up visits—1 day after IPL treatment, 1 month after treatment, and 3 months after treatment. The patients were assessed by 3 independent evaluators who used the 5-point Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale (GAIS). The participants also completed a patient satisfaction questionnaire at the 1- and 3-month visits.

The patients ranged in age from 44 to 72 years, and all attended each study visit. At the initial visit, rosacea was determined to be severe in 4 women and moderate in 6 women. At the final 3-month visit, rosacea symptoms were absent in 5 women and mild in the others (mean score, 0.6).

Improvement was demonstrated on both sides of the face after the mean physician GAIS scores were added for all 10 patients and the scores were plotted over time. Outcomes on the right side of the face, which received IPL and skincare treatments, showed continuous improvement and were rated higher by physicians at each visit vs the side treated only with IPL.

About 40% of patients had immediate improvement on the right side of the face compared with 30% on the left side. All patients were at least “improved” on the right-side of the face at the 3-month visit, and the GAIS scores indicated that improvements had a shorter duration on the left side.

All patients reported less redness, improved hydration, and overall improvement in skin appearance on the skincare-treated side of the face on day 1.

On the patient satisfaction questionnaire, the participants rated the right side of the face much higher than the left side. Ratings regarding the right side of the face ranged from 3.5 to 4.0 (somewhat agree to strongly agree), and those for the left side of the face ranged from 2.3 to 3.1 (somewhat disagree to somewhat agree).

“This proof-of-concept study has shown that when IPL treatment of rosacea is combined with effective skincare treatments, improved and potentially longer-lasting outcomes are observed,” stated the study authors. “Aside from improving the epidermal barrier, the inclusion of the phyto-corrective skincare regimen was able to immediately reduce some of the unwanted IPL side-effects such as redness and swelling and potentially reduce post-procedure downtime.”

Reference

Barbarino SC, Bucay VW, Cohen JL, Gold MH. Integrative skincare trial of intense pulsed light followed by the phyto corrective mask, phyto corrective gel and resveratrol BE for decreasing post-procedure downtime and improving procedure outcomes in patients with rosacea. J Cosmet Dermatol. Published online June 28, 2022. doi:10.1111/jocd.15189