Light and Laser Treatments for Keratosis Pilaris: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND Keratosis pilaris (KP) is a common hereditary keratinization disorder. Keratosis pilaris rubra and KP atrophicans faciei are less frequent variants of the disease. Topical treatments often yield ineffective and temporary results. OBJECTIVE The objective of this article is to review and assess all the studies that used light and laser devices to treat KP and its variants. MATERIAL AND METHODS On January 15, 2017, an online search of the MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane databases was performed using the following combination of keywords: “keratosis pilaris” and “treatment.” RESULTS Seventeen studies related to light and laser treatments were retained for analysis. The total number of treated patients was 175. Of which, 22 patients had KP atrophicans faciei, 17 patients had KP rubra, and 136 patients had KP. CONCLUSION Light and laser devices have been emerging as promising therapeutic options for a disfiguring disease that still lacks, until today, an effective long-term treatment.