If you're a teenager, you probably have acne. The American Academy of Dermatology, or AAD, reports that approximately 85 percent of American teens will get pimples sometime over the course of a year. Many acne sufferers turn to conventional therapies containing benzoyl peroxide to clear their skin, but a relatively new treatment involving blue LED lights shows promise for curbing acne.
Acne Causes
Teenagers, and some adults, tend to get acne due to hormonal changes, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Surging hormones can overstimulate the skin's sebaceous glands, which make the skin's lubricating oil. Bacteria that live on the surface of the skin also contribute by causing infection in blocked pores. It's possible to develop acne on the face, back, chest and shoulders, but the majority of people seek treatment for facial acne.
LED Treatment Function
Blue-light LED treatments for acne target only one of acne's causes: the skin-dwelling bacteria that cause infection and can potentially lead to scarring, according to the AAD. Dermatologists use a very specific wavelength of powerful blue light for the treatment. When the LED light penetrates the skin, it selectively kills the bacteria Propionibacterium acnes, which causes inflammatory and cystic acne lesions. Once the bacteria die, acne slowly begins to clear.
Treatment Time Frame
Patients who choose blue-light LED treatments to fight their acne generally receive about eight sessions, spaced twice a week over one month's time. The sessions last 15 or 16 minutes each. During each session, the patient simply sits in front of a blue LED light array. Patients report a few mild side effects, including redness and dry skin, from the treatment, but they tend to go away quickly.
Medical Research
Medical research shows that blue LED light treatment for acne appears to be a promising acne therapy. In one study performed at UCLA School of Medicine and published in 2006, researchers treated 45 patients with blue LED lights twice a week for four to eight weeks. Half the patients said they were highly satisfied with the LED light treatment, and 20 percent had total clearing of their acne.
Considerations
Blue LED lights seem to clear acne in more than half of patients, according to the AAD. The AAD warns, however, that studies haven't established long-term effectiveness and that some patients see their acne return months after the treatments conclude. Because of this, some dermatologists recommend the therapy only for patients whose acne has failed to respond to other treatments. If you think blue LED light treatment for acne might help you, talk to your dermatologist about trying it.
Member Comments