Premium
A randomised double‐blind study comparing the effect of 1072‐nm light against placebo for the treatment of herpes labialis
Author(s) -
Hargate G.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
clinical and experimental dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.587
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1365-2230
pISSN - 0307-6938
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2230.2006.02191.x
Subject(s) - herpes labialis , placebo , medicine , double blind , double blind study , sore throat , surgery , dermatology , anesthesia , pathology , virology , virus , alternative medicine , herpes simplex virus
Summary Background. Previous research demonstrated that 1072‐nm narrowband laser light is effective in the treatment of cold sores. Aim. To evaluate the efficacy of an over‐the‐counter cold‐sore treatment device (Virulite CS) incorporating 1072‐nm light‐emitting diodes. Methods. A randomised, prospective, double‐blind, self‐reported study was performed to compare the efficacy of at least six 3‐min treatments of 1072‐nm narrowband light against placebo, in the treatment of herpes labialis. Results. The 1072‐nm light‐emitting diode device reduced cold‐sore healing time to 6.3 days compared with 9.4 days for placebo ( P = 0.048). The time the cold sore took to form a crust was also reduced from 2.00 days for those treated with 1072‐nm light, compared with 2.88 days for placebo ( P = 0.059) Conclusions. The significant difference between the mean healing times in the two groups demonstrates that the Virulite CS device is an effective means of treating herpes labialis.