5-Aminolevulinic Acid-based Photodynamic Intense Pulsed Light Therapy Shows Better Effects in the Treatment of Skin Photoaging in Asian Skin: A Prospective, Single-blinded, Controlled Trial.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effects of photodynamic intense pulsed light therapy on skin photoaging in Asian skin.


METHODS
This was a prospective, single-blinded, controlled, clinical trial with 40 patients enrolled. The enrolled patients applied 5% 5-aminolevulinic acid on the left side of the face while a placebo was applied on the right side of the face. After a one-hour incubation, the patients received intense pulsed light therapy. After four treatment cycles, the pH values, transepidermal water loss of the dermis of the forehead and canthus skin, as well as the moisture capacity of stratum corneum and the global score of photoaging were assessed.


RESULTS
The pH value of forehead and canthus skin, moisture capacity of stratum corneum, and the dermis of forehead and canthus skin of the photodynamic intense pulsed light therapy treated sides were significantly higher than those of the control sides in all of the patients. The photoaging score decreased after the therapy on both sides, with the photodynamic intense pulsed light therapy treated sides decreasing more than the control sides (P<0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
5-aminolevulinic acid photodynamic intense pulsed light therapy showed better effects in the treatment of skin photoaging compared to intense pulsed light therapy alone.
Yang
Gao
G
Xiang
Leihong Flora
LF
Gold
Michael H
MH