A Review of Hand-Held, Home-Use Cosmetic Laser and Light Devices

BACKGROUND: As the market for home-use light-based and laser-based devices grows, consumers will increasingly seek advice from dermatologists regarding their safety and efficacy profiles. OBJECTIVE: To review the literature on home-use hand-held devices for various dermatologic conditions. To educate dermatologists about commercially available products their patients may be using. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was conducted to determine the safety and efficacy of home-use laser and light devices for the treatment of the following: hair removal, acne, photoaging, scars, psoriasis, and hair regrowth. In addition, a thorough search of the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) radiation-emitting electronic products' database was performed; by searching specific product codes, all hand-held devices that are FDA-approved for marketing in the United States were identified. RESULTS: Of the various home-use devices reviewed, intense pulsed light (IPL) for hair removal and light-emitting diode (LED) for treatment of acne have the most published data. Although the literature shows modest results for home-use IPL and LED, small sample sizes and short follow-up periods limit interpretation. CONCLUSION: There is a paucity of randomized, double-blind controlled trials to support the use of home-use laser and light devices; smaller, uncontrolled industry-sponsored single-center studies suggest that some of these devices may have modest results.