Light Therapy For Acne – Look Beyond The Conventional

Have you tried different treatments and remedies for your acne with no luck? If so, you may want to consider light therapy for acne,Here is some information about this treatment that may help you to feel better sooner.

Acne is a condition that many people suffer from, teenagers tend to be the group most people associate with acne however people suffer from it well into their forties. Acne can be acutely embarrassing, and can also leave you with severe scarring. There has been extensive research done and as a result there are more and more ways of treating acne successfully. One of the more promising forms of treatment is light therapy; in order to understand how this works, we need to understand what causes acne.

What is acne?

Acne usually occurs on the face neck or sometimes even the body. Everyone has glands just below the surface of their skin called sebaceous glands; these glands secrete oils onto the skin through the hair follicle tubes found on the skins surface.

The hair follicle tubes can easily become clogged as the glands continue to produce oil, however as there is no exit for the oil it results in a pimple forming. For some, it can just stop there but for others the problem continues when a bacteria known as Propionibacterium, becomes involved. This bacteria is commonly found on the skin, but it uses sebaceous to grow and it known that people with acne have an overabundance of Propionibacterium. Since bacteria is involved, white blood cells are attracted and cause a breakdown on the skin, which results in the red blotchy inflamed skin associated with acne.

How Does light therapy It Work?

Recently light therapy has shown to be a promising break through. It works by utilizing a blue or a red light wave and the FDA has approved this process for mild to moderate acne. Light therapy for acne involves exposing the skin to the light for about 20 to 30 minutes and uses a blue ray to destroy the bacteria Propionibacterium. The red light used i helps to reduce the swelling and inflammation caused by the white blood cells; some patients do have some mild pain after using light therapy.

Light therapy for acne and treatments are often offered through a dermatologist center and usually takes the form of monthly treatments as acne is an ongoing problem for many. There are now hand held devices available that can be purchased for the home, however it is recommended that it is discussed with a doctor to see which would work the best for the type and severity of acne you are suffering from

Although approved by the FDA, there have been no long term studies as to any damage caused by light therapy but for many, the benefits brought about by light therapy for acne are a testament to the success of the process.

Use these tips to make dealing with acne a lot easier. If you follow the basics you could eliminate your problem acne quickly.