The TheraClear X Acne Therapy System reduces lesions and associated skin redness with improvement in skin texture and pore size after one to three treatments with infrequent adverse effects, according to new research in the Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy.
Strata’s photopneumatic system combines intense pulse light (IPL) with vacuum to treat mild to moderate inflammatory acne including acne vulgaris, comedonal acne, and pustular acne.
The study sought to evaluate visible improvements in acne lesions and skin texture after a series of tailored photopneumatic therapy applications in patients with mild-moderate acne. Seven female patients with inflammatory, comedonal, and pustular lesions were evaluated after up to six treatments, one to two weeks apart, for 15-20 minutes per treatment using customized energy settings.
All patients experienced a visible reduction in comedones, pustules, and inflammatory acne lesions and achieved ≥ 50% clearance after three treatments. Patients also experienced overall improvements in skin texture with reduction in redness, pore size, oiliness, perilesional erythema, and acne-induced hyperpigmentation.
Side effects were mild and transient and included mild erythema, mild bruising, superficial erosions, and temporary pigmentation changes (48–72 hours post-treatment), the study authors report. All patients stated that TheraClear X treatment was “comfortable.”
“The study shows TheraClear X as a monotherapy is well tolerated and delivers visible improvements in facial acne lesions and skin texture,” says study author Gilly Munavalli, MD, MHS, FACMS, the medical director and founder of Dermatology, Laser, & Vein Specialists of the Carolinas in Charlotte, NC and Assistant Clinical Professor of Dermatology at the Wake Forest University Department of Dermatology in Winston-Salem, NC, in a news release. “Tailored vacuum and energy settings based on individual acne severity allow for precision therapy, aligning with skin type and personalized acne care recommendations. This tailored, non-drug, physician-administered intervention offers a promising alternative for acne patients resistant to traditional therapies, overcoming compliance challenges associated with topical and oral treatments.”
