Could photobiomodulation be used for treatment of rosacea?

Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by facial skin lesions, including flushing, persistent erythema, papules, telangiectasia, and phymatous changes, affecting 5.5% of the world's population. Rosacea causes disfigurement and emotional ramifications and affects quality of life. The pathophysiology of this disease has yet to be understood, and new therapies are necessary. Photobiomodulation has been used to treat dermatological diseases and various conditions, such as inflammatory processes and pain relief. Thus, this study aimed to review studies on PBM for rosacea treatment, summarizing the radiation sources and subject features and reporting the main results. Scientific articles were accessed by PubMed, using keywords related to rosacea and photobiomodulation. Data on irradiation conditions, patient features, experimental models, and results obtained were assessed. The data analysis allowed to list the conditions for applying photobiomodulation that could lead to therapeutic effects, safety, and efficacy in treating the rosacea. Based on clinical and experimental studies accessed, photobiomodulation could decrease rosacea hallmarks and symptoms by decreasing of pro-inflammatory factor expression, inflammatory infiltration and immune cells, and promoting extracellular matrix remodeling. However, due to few studies available on the application of photobiomodulation in the treatment of rosacea, studies based on experimental and clinical models are necessary to better understand the mechanisms of action of this therapy, efficacy, and validation in the treatment of rosacea.