Laser Treatment of Moderate to Severe Acne Vulgaris

May 29, 2026 updated by: Dieter Manstein, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital

Laser Treatment for the Clinical Improvement of Acne Vulgaris: A Self-Controlled Trial

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if fractional ablative laser can treat active acne vulgaris in adults 18 to 40 years old with moderate to severe acne vulgaris.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

Does ablative fractional carbon dioxide treatment effectively treat moderate to severe active nodular acne vulgaris?

Does ablative fractional carbon dioxide treatment effectively treat moderate to severe active nodular acne vulgaris over a short time frame?

Is non-selective laser useful in treating inflammatory skin disease?

How does the microbiome change after laser treatment?

Participants will...

  • Receive up to 3 laser treatments
  • Attend a baseline visit and follow-up visits post-treatment where participants will receive a clinical assessment, facial swab, and facial-imaging

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Terminated

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

This study is designed to evaluate the efficacy of ablative fractional laser treatment for the clinical improvement or treatment of active acne vulgaris. We will be performing a self-controlled study, where each eligible subject will serve as their own control. Each subject will receive an ablative fractional 10,600 nm carbon dioxide laser treatment (Lumenis® Ultrapulse® C02 laser with DeepFX™ Yokneam, Israel).

There is another arm in the study. 22 subjects with acne will be selected to do the same laser treatment on a localized part of the face (1-3 inflammatory lesions and up to 5 mm adjacent area).

We plan to have 22 subjects complete the study on the first arm and 22 on the second arm. Both arms will be treated with the same device and the same energy and density will be used. The first arm will be submitted to 3 laser treatments, with a one-month interval between each treatment appointment and their full face will be treated. The second arm will have only one treatment and only 1-3 lesions will be submitted to the laser treatment.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
4

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Massachusetts
      • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02114
        • MGH Clinical Unit for Research Trials & Outcomes in Skin

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 40 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Subject must be able and willing to provide written informed consent and comply with the requirements of the study protocol;
  2. In good general health, based on answers provided during the screening visit;
  3. Subject must be able to read and understand English;
  4. Any gender and any Fitzpatrick skin type;
  5. Ages 18 through 40;
  6. Subjects must have moderate to severe nodular active facial acne vulgaris (PGA 3 or 4)
  7. Willing to sun protect treated area for the duration of enrollment in the study and 1 year after treatment;
  8. Subjects must be ineligible for or have declined standard of care treatments (e.g. oral isotretinoin therapy).

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Participation in another investigational drug or device clinical trial in the past 30 days;
  2. Currently undergoing or wish to begin or continue topical treatments;
  3. Are pregnant or lactating;
  4. History of allergic reaction to topical anesthesia;
  5. Subjects may not have undergone oral isotretinoin therapy within the past 12 months;
  6. Currently take oral antibiotic or oral therapy for acne;
  7. History of keloidal or hypertrophic scarring;
  8. Laser treatment in past six months;
  9. History of poor wound healing;
  10. Clinically significant abnormal findings or conditions which might, in the opinion of the Investigator, interfere with study evaluations or pose a risk to subject safety during the study.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Sequential Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Full-face treatment
3 laser sessions (whole face), up to 22 subjects
Device: Laser Intervention
Subjects receive laser treatment.
Experimental: Localized treatment
1 laser session on 1-3 selected lesions, up to 22 subjects
Device: Laser Intervention
Subjects receive laser treatment.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Lesion Count
Time Frame: 3 months
Lesion count is a tally of all different types of blemishes (comedones, papules, pustules, nodules, cysts) on the face. In this study, change in lesion count represents the change in subjects' lesion count post-treatment. A negative change in lesion count indicates that acne improved whereas a positive change in lesion count indicates that acne worsened.
3 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Physician's Global Assessment (PGA) Score
Time Frame: 3 months
The Physician's Global Assessment (PGA) score is a clinical scale used by dermatologists to rate the overall severity of acne at a given time. The Acne PGA scales range from 0 to 4 (with 0 being least severe and 4 being most severe). In this study, change in PGA score represents the change in subjects' PGA score following treatment. A negative change in PGA score indicates that acne improved whereas a positive change in PGA score indicates that the acne worsened.
3 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Massachusetts General Hospital

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Dieter Manstein, MD, PhD, Massachusetts General Hospital

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
November 9, 2020

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
July 27, 2022

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
July 27, 2022

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
July 2, 2020

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 7, 2020

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
July 10, 2020

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
June 1, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 29, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 2020P000838

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

Yes

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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