Light Therapy for Acne
Light therapy for acne has been an exciting addition to the treatment plans of patients with mild to severe skin conditions. Light therapy can be used for acne prevention, as well as to reduce the bacteria and inflammation from severe breakouts. There are different lasers for different types of acne (pimples, blackheads, whiteheads, acne cysts and acne nodules), though a combined therapy plan that includes light therapy can help rapidly speed recovery and control future flare-ups.
Blue, red, and blue + red light devices:
Called “visible light” because you can see the colors, these devices can treat pimples. However, clogged pores from oil (like blackheads) are not successfully treated using this therapy.
At-home devices:
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved some visible light LED devices (blue, red, and blue + red light devices) for at-home use. These types of at-home lights are significantly less powerful, and do help with maintenance, but do not have a significant impact on moderate to severe conditions.
Photodynamic therapy (PDT):
A medication is used to make the skin more sensitive to light therapy. The purpose is to reduce the production of sebum from the sebaceous glands on acne-prone skin. Commonly, the medicated solution will need to sit on the skin for 90 minutes to three hours before light therapy is applied for approximately 15 minutes. This treatment has been growing in popularity, but should only be used for patients that have not seen success using other therapies. Patients with light sensitivity conditions are contraindicated for this treatment.