Acne ranks as the most common skin condition in the United States, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). Some 85 percent of people, or more, will suffer from acne during their lifetime, and on any given day, most teenagers will have at least a sprinkling of pimples. While benzoyl peroxide-based skin care products remain the mainstay of acne treatment, many acne sufferers are trying Clear Light acne therapy, a relatively new and promising approach that uses blue LED lights to clear acne.
Function
Acne forms when its three main causes occur simultaneously, according to the Mayo Clinic. First, the skin's sebaceous glands, located below the skin's surface, start to produce too much sebum, or skin oil. Second, the skin sheds too many dead skin cells, and these dead cells irritate the delicate follicles on the skin's surface. And finally, the excess sebum oil attracts and nourishes acne-causing Propionibacterium acnes bacteria, which normally lives in and on the skin but can begin to overproduce in an overly oily atmosphere. Pimples, inflammation and cysts below the skin's surface result from these factors.
Significance
Clear Light acne therapy, which has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as an acne treatment, works by killing the P. acnes bacteria, according to the AAD. Dermatologists generally use it to treat acne that's proven resistant to other forms of therapy, but Clear Light acne therapy is widely advertised and many patients prefer it to daily application of topical acne medications and creams. Because it affects only one of acne's three causes---bacterial proliferation---your dermatologist may ask you to combine it with a treatment that addresses the other causes, such as prescription tretinoin cream, which can slow the shedding of skin cells.
Time Frame
During Clear Light acne therapy, the technician uses a hand wand to apply the blue light energy to the acne-infected area. Treatments themselves take only 15 or 20 minutes, but overall, Clear Light acne therapy takes time, according to the AAD. Patients generally receive multiple treatments over the course of several months. Most commonly, dermatologists order eight treatments over four months, although this can vary depending on the severity of your acne. Side effects are very mild, and can include skin dryness along with temporary swelling or redness in the area treated.
Time Frame
Studies show Clear Light acne therapy is effective in clearing acne. For example, one study, published in 2008 in the "Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology," reported on 21 patients with mild to moderate facial acne. Patients each received eight blue light treatments for their acne. At the end of the treatment cycle, the researchers noted significant improvement in several measures of acne severity. According to the AAD, which has reviewed multiple studies on blue light in acne treatment, patients can expect about 55 percent clearing of their acne with this type of treatment, although not everyone will see results.
Considerations
Because Clear Light acne therapy only kills P. acnes and doesn't slow the skin's production of oil or dead skin cells, it doesn't work for everyone, the AAD warns. And, some patients who have Clear Light acne therapy find that their acne returns after about six months. But for patients who want an alternative to daily or twice-daily application of messy acne treatment lotion, Clear Light acne therapy offers an effective alternative, the AAD says.
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