Aminolevulinic acid is a compound comprised of several amino acids including L-glycine. Your body produces it naturally from alpha-linoleic acid. Plants also produce aminolevulinic acid, an important step in the production of chlorophyll. Applied...
According to the Mayo Clinic, an actinic keratosis is a rough and scaly sore on the skin of the face, lips, ears, back of the hands, forearms, scalp or neck. Actinic keratosis is caused by excessive exposure to the ultraviolet rays of the sun, and...
Red inflamed lesions and unsightly papules and pustules appear on skin plagued with acne. A successful acne treatment reduces oil and kills the acne-causing bacteria. Photodynamic therapy, or PDT, is a type of light treatment prescribed by...
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been used for many years to treat cancer and is now being used to treat other conditions, including acne. PDT is a relatively new form of acne treatment that uses light or laser treatments with the help of...
Pores help keep your skin healthy, hydrated and soft. However, large pores can be unattractive. While pore size is largely defined by genetics and age, there are some that can minimize the size of your pores. Some of these treatments are...
According to the Mayo Clinic, laser resurfacing removes aged or sun-damaged skin to enable new, younger-looking skin to replace it. It is used to treat many skin conditions that result from sun damage, including fine to moderate wrinkles, age...
Columbia University defines acne as a condition in which clogged oil glands become infected and inflamed. As a result, whiteheads, blackheads and pustules form. Retinols and benzoyl peroxide topical treatments top the list of initial remedies,...
If you're suffering from wart-like skin eruptions or itchy, patchy skin, you may have a form of keratosis. Keratosis is caused by an overgrowth of keratin, a fibrous insoluble protein that's the primary component of nails, skin and hair. Although...
Blue-light therapy, also called photodynamic therapy, is a medical treatment that uses a photosensitizing drug and a particular type of light. The photosensitizer is activated by specific wavelengths of light that are delivered by laser or...
Photodynamic therapy for acne is an alternative treatment for people who prefer it over applying topical medications daily or those who have developed a resistance to topical antibiotics. Different colors of light treat two symptoms of mild or...
Acne occurs when oily secretions, also known as sebum, and dead skin cells, accumulate in the hair follicles and pores of the skin. Bacteria called Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) can infect the clogged pore, feed on the sebum and cause...
Conventional medical treatments for acne include the use of prescription topical and oral antibiotics. However, light-based treatments, an emerging therapy for reducing acne, may help patients avoid the hassle of applying acne creams in impossible...
Acne is a common skin condition, especially for teenagers. Because it is typically associated with hormone changes, pregnant women are sometimes affected by acne as well. Treatment for moderate to severe acne usually involves topical preparations...
Though surgical removal of skin cancer is often the preferred first-line treatment, topical treatments may be appropriate for skin cancers of a certain type or stage. Although melanomas (the most serious type of skin cancer, often spreading to...
The use of St. John's wort to treat mental disorders dates back centuries and continues today because of its effectiveness in helping people with mild to moderate depression, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine reports....
