Blue Light Acne Treatment
“[Blue light treatment] is a major breakthrough and could be an excellent alternative for those patients who have had minimal success with traditional therapies…”
– Dr. Arielle N.B. Kauvar
What is Blue Light Acne Treatment?
Blue light acne treatment is, simply, the use of blue light to kill acne bacterial on and beneath the surface of the skin. With the majority of acne bacteria dead, (given proper hygene) the body’s own detoxification and healing process takes over, and the acne clears.
What is a blue light acne treatment like?
During blue light acne treatment, blue light is shone on the skin for a period of time, ranging from 6 seconds to 15 minutes daily per area depending on the product. Also depending on the product, the light may be held against the skin, or at some distance away. The treatment is painless, with no stinging, tingling or burning sensation at all. Blue or blue and red light acne treatment, when used as directed, will not cause the skin to itch, dry, flake or crack, in fact, the overall appearance and texture of the skin usually improves. The light source could be incandescent, fluorescent, halogen or LEDs of varying intensity. The light source does not matter much as far as effectiveness goes, it is the color, or wavelength (nm) that is the “active ingredient.” Most acne lights on the market today will work just fine for most people when used as directed. Blue light acne treatment is available both at your dermatologist and for in-home use.
Blue light alone is an effective acne treatment, but red light is often used in conjunction with blue to speed the healing process along and help prevent future scarring. Click here to learn more about the use of red light in acne treatment.
Where did the idea to use blue light as an acne treatment come from?
Blue light is very closely related to UV light. It is common knowledge that UV light kills bacteria and improves acne for most people. Until the UV scare, UV light was used in the practice of dermatology as an effective acne treatment for years. Knowing that blue light retains some of the antibacterial properties of UV without the potentially harmful effects, researchers wondered if visible blue light would also be an effective acne treatment. They found that it was, and the market was born.
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Blue light acne treatment was featured at the last Sci\ART Global Chromotherapy workshop. |
How Does Blue Light Acne Treatment Work?
Although there are many websites to wade through, and even more products to choose from, blue light acne treatment is as simple as this: blue light kills acne bacteria. When blue light strikes acne bacteria cells it sets off a chemical reaction that causes the bacteria to self-destruct.
“Light gets at the core of what causes acne eruptions: P. acnes, the bacterial responsible for causing acne inflammation, pumps out tiny molecules called porphyrins. When those porphyrin are exposed to certain wavelengths of light, they produce free radicals that kill the bacteria. Without P. acnes around to cause inflammation, acne clears up.”
“A low intensity blue light source (405 nm to 420 nm) has been studied for the treatment of mild to moderate inflammatory acne. In the study, two 15-minute exposures a week for a period of four weeks produced a 60 percent reduction in acne in 80 percent of patients. Reported remissions from acne lasted as long as three to eight months.” October 2002 – American Academy of Dermatology
Based on this research similar studies, the first blue light acne treatment ’system’, ClearLight, gained FDA approval in 2002.
Now there is effective acne treatment without risky acne medications. Discover the benefits of blue light therapy..
- 100% natural and non-invasive
- drug-free with no adverse side effects
- safe for all ages
- painless
- easily self-administered in your own home
- no down-time
Blue light acne treatment is even more effective when combined with Red Light.
In 1903, Niels Finsen won the Nobel Prize in Medicine in part for his work using red light to heal and prevent scarring from small pox. Since then it has been found that visible red light penetrates deeply into the skin, increasing oxygen and blood flow, and providing energy to the cells that accelerate the body’s own healing process. In fact, David Olszewski, co-author of “Light Years Ahead” found that skin heals almost 200% faster when exposed to red light. At least one recent study found that blue light acne treatment is more effective when combined with red light. For this reason, many “acne light” products combine blue light with red light. Red light does increase the effectiveness of blue light acne treatment, but it is not necessary.
Important Things to Know About Blue Light Acne Treatment
- Blue light is an acne treatment, not a cure. However, unlike other acne treatments, blue light can penetrate under the surface of the skin to destroy acne bacteria before it becomes a problem. Consistent treatment is necessary to keep moderate-severe acne under control.
- Blue (and red) light acne treatment is successful in about 86% of cases.
- Blue light was first used and is effective all by itself, without the use of ALA or Levulan, as in PDT (Photodynamic Therapy.)
- Blue light acne treatment can be more effective when used with the healing and anti-inflammatory power of red light.
- Results using blue (or blue and red) light as acne treatment vary widely by individual with results ranging from none to total clearing within 12 weeks of consistent treatment. Why doesn’t blue light acne treatment work for everybody?
A Buyer’s Guide to Acne Lights is now in the works. Check out the outline and add your ideas here.
There are two general types of blue light acne products – those you hold in your hand, and those you simply sit in front of. You can compare them in these handy charts.
