Comparison of the Efficacy and Safety of Pulsed Dye Laser, Intense Pulsed Light and Radiofrequency Therapy in the Treatment of Erythematotelangiectatic Rosacea

Purpose: Optoelectronic advances have boosted interest in noninvasive rosacea treatments. Among them, pulsed dye laser (PDL), intense pulsed light (IPL), and radiofrequency (RF) therapy have been used to treat erythematotelangiectatic rosacea (ETR), and some therapeutic effects have been reported, but comparative studies are lacking. This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of PDL, IPL, and RF therapy for the treatment of ETR. Patients and Methods: A retrospective evaluation was conducted of patients with ETR who completed phototherapy between June 2019 and June 2024. The treatment protocol included two sessions of 585 nm PDL therapy (6-week interval), three sessions of IPL (M22 590 filter) therapy (590-1200 nm, 4-week interval), or six sessions of multisource 3DEEP RF therapy (2-week interval), with a follow-up visit at 12 weeks post-final treatment. The clinical efficacy evaluation consisted of the Clinician Erythema Assessment (CEA) scale, patient self-assessment (PSA) scale, the overall efficacy rate, and the Rosacea-Specific Quality of Life instrument (RosaQoL). Safety was evaluated in terms of adverse reactions such as pain, purpura, erythematous edema, blistering, hyperpigmentation, and scarring. Results: This study included 120 patients with ETR treated with PDL, M22 590, or RF therapy. Intragroup analysis revealed significant decreases in the CEA scale, PSA scale, and RosaQoL scores after treatment (p