Objectives: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory condition characterized by painful nodules, draining tunnels, and fibrotic scarring in intertriginous, hair-bearing areas. The pathogenesis involves follicular occlusion and subsequent rupture, leading to uncontrolled inflammation. Treatment options for HS are limited and lack universal effectiveness. Laser hair removal (LHR) has been explored as a potential treatment; however, the efficacy and appropriate laser modalities remain unclear. This systematic review examined the efficacy and adverse effects of LHR in HS.

Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted from inception to September 2023 in Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, and The Cochrane Library (Wiley) with predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, and a meta-analysis was conducted.

Results: Ten studies were selected (n = 227 total patients) and included six randomized controlled trials, two nonrandomized experimental studies, and two case series. Various laser modalities, including long-pulsed neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) (n = 115), intense pulsed light (n = 18), Alexandrite (n = 54), intralesional 1064 nm diode (n = 20), and combined fractional CO₂ and long-pulsed Nd:YAG laser (n = 20), consistently demonstrated significant improvement in HS disease severity, irrespective of the disease scoring method used. Minimal adverse effects (primarily mild pain and erythema) were reported. A meta-analysis of three studies utilizing long-pulsed Nd:YAG laser demonstrated a standardized mean difference in disease severity of -1.68 (95% confidence interval: -2.99; -0.37), favoring treatment with LHR for HS.

Conclusions: Hair follicles are key in HS pathogenesis and all included studies showed a significant improvement in HS disease severity after LHR regardless of the laser device used, likely related to hair follicle unit destruction. HS is a complex and heterogenous condition, and multiple disease scoring methods complicate outcome comparisons across studies. However, LHR, utilizing various techniques, is an effective treatment option for HS with minimal adverse effects.