The Efficacy of Intense Pulsed Light and Laser Hair Removal in Hidradenitis Suppurativa Treatment.

Background: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a multifactorial disease that presents with chronic cycles of inflammation, healing, and scarring and that elicits a profoundly negative impact on patient quality of life regarding self-image, fear of stigmatization, and social isolation. Patients commonly develop painful, odorous abscesses that evolve into draining sinus tracts and disfiguring scarring.

Objective: While systemic medications and surgical therapies are often effective in reducing active lesion activity and inflammation, these therapies sometimes only provide modest success in the prevention of future recurrences and disease progression, warranting adjunctive therapies such as laser and light-based therapies.1 Herein, this systematic review has been conducted to assess the current level of evidence supporting intense pulsed light (IPL) and laser treatment for HS, with a focus on a decrease in the number of lesions with associated HS flares.

Methods: GRADE assessments were performed using PubMed and Scopus. Of 428 studies identified, 10 studies (n= 235) evaluated IPL or laser hair removal treatment and their effectiveness in reducing HS flares.

Results: Significant reductions in the overall count of inflammatory lesions were observed in all studies, with percentages ranging from 50% to 75%, and in some cases, achieving complete resolution. However, durations of disease remission varied.

Conclusion: These results provide a moderate level of evidence supporting the effectiveness of IPL and laser hair removal as adjunctive therapy in the treatment of HS; however, further long-term studies are required to provide future guidance on the most effective treatment duration and intervals for sustaining disease clearance. J Drugs Dermatol. 2024;23(11):926-930. doi:10.36849/JDD.8627.