Blue Light Acne Therapy FAQs

Answers to your most frequent questions about Blue Light Acne Treatments..

• What is Blue Light Acne Treatment?
• How does Blue Light Acne Therapy work?
• What does Blue Light Acne Therapy treat?
• Who should NOT use Blue Light Acne Therapy?
• What should I do before my Blue Light Treatment?
• What results should I expect from Blue Light Acne Treatments?
• How long does a Blue Light Acne Treatment take?
• Are Blue Light Acne Treatments safe?
• Are Blue Light Acne Treatments painful?
• How soon are the results of Blue Light Acne Treatments noticeable?
• How often can I get Blue Light Acne Treatments?
• Are there side effects from Blue Light Acne Therapy?
• Why use Blue Light Acne Treatment instead of conventional acne medication?

What is Blue Light Acne Therapy?
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The FDA has approved the use of high-intensity, narrow-band blue light to treat mild to moderate acne. This pain-free light is safe and uses no ultraviolet (UV) light or lasers. When blue light is used as a treatment for acne, it kills p. acnes, the acne-causing bacteria that can form within the sebaceous glands and cause break outs. Blue light therapy can be administered alone through several systems that are available such as ClearLight®, or in combination with a topical photosensitizing solution in blue light photodynamic therapy for acne treatment.

How does Blue Light Acne Therapy work?
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Bacteria multiplying in the sebaceous glands that surround hair follicles cause acne. The results range from the common pimple to severe acne. The key is to get rid of the bacteria while not harming the skin. Some people use topical creams, special cleansers, or even opt for oral medication. However these solutions do not work for everybody for a myriad of reasons.

BLUE Light PhotoDynamic Therapy kills the P. acnes bacteria in your skin. The BLUE Light can be administered alone or in conjunction with a topical application of ALA, or Levulan® (aminolevulinic acid), for the treatment of acne vulgaris. Studies show that BLUE Light provides treatment for both active lesions and other inactive sebaceous glands that are not creating active lesions. Pretreatment with topical ALA may offer additional reduction of lesions, pustules, and papules.

What can be treated with Blue Light Acne Therapy?
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Blue Light therapy is used to treat either acne or actinic keratoses. For severe cases of these diseases, it may also be recommended that Luvulan or ALA (amino levulinic acid) be used in conjunction with the Blue Light Acne Treatment. Actinic keratoses (AK) is a pre-cancerous skin lesion, which left untreated, may develop into a skin cancer.

Who should NOT use Blue Light Acne Therapy?
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Persons with these conditions are possibly NOT candidates for Blue Light Acne Thereapy:

• Active Herpes Simplex
• Warts
• Accutane® (Isotretinoin) use within last 12 months
• Recent chemotherapy or radiation
• Sunburn/Insufficient solar protection
• Suntan (your suntan must be at least two weeks old)
• Pregnancy

What should I do before my Blue Light Treatment?

Do not wear make-up, or use creams, lotions, serums, and self-tanners or any other skin care products on the areas to be treated.

The following should be stopped at least one week prior to your Blue Light Acne Treatment:

• Retin-A^® (tretinoin), Renova^®, Kinerase^®, all topical retinoids, other exfoliating drugs
• Electrolysis
• Waxing
• Depilatories
• Masks/Facials
• Hair dying treatments
• Advise of any facial tattoos as they must be covered prior to treatment.
• Facial piercings should be removed prior to treatment.
• If Levulan^® is to be used with your treatment, you should bring a wide-brimmed hat or baseball cap and a pair of sunglasses.

What results should I expect from Blue Light Acne Treatments?
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After the initial treatment your skin may be slightly pink for an hour or so. In the first week your acne may look no better or slightly worse. As the treatments progress, you should start to see a slow, methodical improvement in your acne condition. If Levulan^® was used in conjunction with your Blue Light treatment, or if was used alone, scabbing may occur as the acne lesions heal, but this will end when the treatments are completed.

How long does a Blue Light Acne Treatment take?
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In general, blue light acne treatment is a safe and non-invasive method of treating acne.

Are Blue Light Acne Treatments safe?       [top]

Most patients do not experience pain or discomfort during exposure to the light, and they can get back to their normal routine immediately following a blue light acne therapy session.

Are Blue Light Acne Treatments painful?       [top]

After the initial treatment your skin may be slightly pink for an hour or so. In the first week your acne may look no better or slightly worse. As your Blue Light treatments progress, you should start to see a slow, methodical improvement in your acne condition.

How soon are the results of Blue Light Acne Therapy noticeable?
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After the initial treatment your skin may be slightly pink for an hour or so. In the first week your acne may look no better or slightly worse. As your Blue Light treatments progress, you should start to see a slow, methodical improvement in your acne condition.

How often can I get Blue Light Acne Treatments?
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Blue Light Acne Treatments are typically repeated weekly for several weeks until optimal results are achieved. Some patients experience an improvement of their acne for several months. However, maintenance treatments are often recommended to sustain results. The number of treatments needed to reach optimal results may vary depending on the severity of your acne.

Are there side effects from Blue Light Acne Treatment?
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Unlike other topical treatments, treatments with BLUE Light and ALA (Levulan^® have shown minimal adverse side effects or patient discomfort. The BLUE Light treatments are gentle and do not harm surrounding tissues.

Why use Blue Light Acne Treatment instead of conventional acne medication?
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Many patients are not comfortable with the potential adverse effects of long-term use of medication. Antibiotics in particular may lead to resistant strains of bacteria leaving certain antibiotics useless in preventing and combating disease when they are needed most. Some medications like Accutane^®, which is used for severe cases of acne, are so potent that the patient's blood levels must be monitored during treatment. Avoidance of these types of medications can be possible with Blue Light Therapy.

For more information about Blue Light Acne Treatments...

We'll be glad to answer your Blue Light Acne Treatment questions personally, so don't hesitate to call or email DermaVogue.