Near infrared (NIR) diode laser low-intensity (soft) phototherapy with the topical application of indocyanine green (ICG) has been suggested for treatment of acne vulgaris. Twelve volunteers with acne lesions on their faces and/or backs were enrolled in the experiment. Skin areas of the subjects that were 4×5 cm ² were stained with ICG solution for 5 min before laser irradiation (803 nm) at a power density up to 50 mW/cm ² for 5 to 10 min. For 75 of the subjects, a single treatment was provided and for the other 25, eight sequential treatments over a period of a month were carried out. Observations a month after the completion of the treatment showed that only the multiple treatments with a combination of ICG and NIR irradiation reduced inflammation and improved the state of the skin for a month without any side effects. A month after treatment, the improvement was about 80 for the group receiving multiple treatments. Single treatments did not have a prolonged effect. © 2004 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers.