Red Light Therapy For Acne

If you struggle with acne, emerging therapies exist that use lasers to combat this embarrassing skin condition. Red light therapy for acne is sometimes combined with other light therapies or topical treatments. It is also used alone. Make sure you consult with your dermatologist and use a board-certified practitioner before treating your acne with red light therapy.

Function

Red light therapy appears to be effective in treating acne. Research conducted by J.I. Na and D.H. Suh and published in 2007 in "Dermatologic Surgery" studied 28 patients who suffered with mild to moderate acne. They randomly treated one-half of each participant's face using red light therapy on its own for 15 minutes twice a day for eight weeks. At the end of the eight-week period, the side treated by the red light therapy had lower instances of lesions based on visual appraisal.

Location

A 2007 study by Natusko Konishi and colleagues and published in "Therapeutics and Clinical Risk Management" found that red light therapy was effective not just for a patient's face, but also on the body. In a randomized study of 29 women, it found that a diode laser effectively treated acne on faces and backs. The laser treatment was well-tolerated and caused few side effects.

Types

Red light therapy may also be effective when combined with blue light therapy, topical medication or oral medication. A 2000 study by P. Papageorgiou and colleagues and published in the "British Journal of Dermatology" reviewed the use of red light therapy in combination with blue light therapy, white light therapy and benzoyl peroxide over a 12-week period. The participants were evaluated every four weeks. The participants who used a combination of blue and red light therapy experienced the most improvement in their acne. The authors suggest that the combination of anti-bacterial light therapy in combination with anti-inflammatory light therapy may be the source of the combined laser therapy's effectiveness.

Considerations

MayoClinic.com states that laser therapies, regardless of color, are still being studied. As a result, few insurance companies will pay for their use. In addition, most laser therapy requires several visits over a period of time, adding to their costs both in terms of time and money.

Side Effects

Red light therapy for acne can cause redness at the site treated. However, these side effects clear quickly. A 2004 review of light therapy studies published in "Dermatologic Surgery" stated that light therapy is faster, has fewer side effects and has higher patient satisfaction levels than the use of oral or topical treatments.