Info on Blue Light Treatments for Acne?
I recently read a magazine article on "blue light" treatment for Acne
and how the FDA has approved such treatments. I have been doing
research online and am finding spotty information at best on this
topic.
I am a 35 year old male who STILL suffers from acne. I have been to
three doctors for this since it became a problem in my early 20's. I
have been on topical and oral antibiotics, I have used Proactiv, I
could probably read off a very long list of all the acne drugs I have
been on in the last decade (no, I have not used Acutane, all three
doctors warned against it.)
All of the medications I have had work for some period of time, but
then their effectivness wears off. My doctors have even noted this and
all three are used to rotating my treatment. As odd as it seems, it
appears as if my acne finds ways around a drug after a while and it
takes a switch to a new drug to get me under control again.
That said, my acne is not anywhere near as bad as it was in my 20's.
However, it is rare I go without any blemishes. It seems I always have
a few blemishes on my face and I have just had enough! I don't have
any friends or co-workers my age with this problem. Over this spring,
it has been my chin that has decided it is going to break out weekly.
It breaks out, it heals and then breaks out again. Every medication I
try only helps slightly.
SO, I am not looking at blue light therapy and hope someone here can
help
1. Has ANYONE had the treatments? Articles make it sound amazing, but
I have found no one who has actually had them.
2. How do I find a doctor that offers the treatment? Unlike other
medical treatments, I can't find a list of doctors anywhere and my
doctor acts like this is some far off science fiction thing!
3. How about the home blue light lamps? It seems silly to go to a
doctor for light treatments when I am willing to pay what it takes to
buy my own and treat myself in privacy when I want. However, I am
finding alot of "fly by night" web sites who I can't tell if they are
selling a quality product or not.
Does anyone have info?
I went to dermatologist in San Francisco to discuss the blue light
treatment. I didn't try it yet, I just asked questions and got the
information, disclaimers, cost and sales pitch.
He says it works very well for people with minor to moderate acne,
less well for people who have severe acne.
He noted that there are some people for whom this treatment will just
not work, regardless of the level of acne. You don't know if you're
one of those people until you try it.
He uses the ClearLight machine (by CureLight
http://www.curelight.com/). Basically, he gives you a course of 8
treatments over a 1 month period (2 treatments per week). After that,
it should keep you clear for several months, up to 7 months. When its
effectiveness wears off, you get another course or possibly delay the
next course by using topicals. He says most of his clients get one or
two courses per year.
A particular course (the 8 treatments over 1 month) costs about $800.
It could cost more if he needs to use Levulan in the last 2 treatments
to enhance the effect.
He uses the SmoothBeam treatment as well, but not for the face. He
uses SmoothBeam for the back only. He says SmoothBeam actually heats
the skin, whereas ClearLight supposedly does not. With ClearLight,
there is no irritation, redness or swelling, according to the doctor
(and the web site).
Right now I am on Zithromax and it seems to be working. Eventually
that will lose steam, and I may consider the blue light treatment at
that point.