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[B753]Blue Light Acne Treatment

by Alisia Friend, Ali

The blue light system works by exposing your face, back, or other affected areas to high intensity blue light (visible light between 405-420nm). It has been known for a long time that sunlight can help clear acne breakouts by killing one source of acne, a type of bacteria called Propionibacterium acnes (commonly called p. acnes) The p. acnes bacteria live underneath your skin and feed on the oil in your clogged pores, which cause the swelling and redness commonly associated with acne. By killing this bacteria, you unclog your pores and allow your skin to heal.

Are there any Side Effects?

Although any acne treatment can cause drying and slight inflammation while the affected areas heal, blue light treatment appears to be virtually free of side effects. This is because it uses visible light, but unlike sunlight, modern blue light treatments contain no UV rays that damage your skin.

It is necessary to wear proper eye protection while undergoing treatment, as the light is very intense and can damage your eyes if they are unprotected. Blue light treatments may need to be avoided if you are taking any medications that increase photosensitivity (sensitivity to light).

Do Blue Light Treatments Work For Everyone?

Blue light treatment has been shown to be very effective in treating mild to moderate cases, but it is not 100% effective for everyone. The majority of test subjects have shown a drastic decrease in acne over the period of a few weeks. A small number of people have little or no response to blue light treatment, and people with the most severe type of acne, nodules, can actually get worse. Nodules are large swelled cyst-like acne that are usually painful to the touch and take considerable time to go away. Although some people get nodules naturally, you can also get them from popping pimples and zits improperly, causing the infection to go deeper into the skin. So try to resist the temptation and give any treatment you try a chance to work.

While blue light treatment is not 100% effective for 100% of the population, it should not be overlooked since it is very gentle to your skin and helps cure acne infection naturally.

Can Blue Light Be Used with Other Treatment Methods?

Yes, other treatments can help blue light get rid of acne even faster and more completely. Many specialists follow the blue light treatment with some exposure to high intensity red light, which helps your skin heal faster, reducing the visible effects of acne. Some studies have also been done on the effects of using a mild acid know as ALA prior to blue light treatment. ALA makes the skin more sensitive to light, thereby increasing the effect. Antibiotics can also be used in addition to this treatment.

Where can I get Blue Light Acne Treatments?

Dermatologists are using blue light treatment more and more because of it is gentle and safe. Blue light treatment kits are also becoming available for home use through the internet. It appears that you can purchase a kit for $150-$500USD, although the quality may vary greatly. If you do purchase a blue light unit for home use, you will want to do your research to be sure you are getting the real deal since a true blue light treatment requires high intensity blue light, and not just a string of blue lights off the Christmas tree.

Also, the biggest difference between modern blue light systems and earlier systems is whether or not they produce harmful UV light. Modern Blue light systems are very gentle because they do not emit UV light. Earlier systems produced UV light, damaging skin like a tanning bed or being in the sun too long. Using a system that exposes you to UV light can actually make acne worse, as well as damage your skin.

You may want to consult a dermatologist before beginning Blue Light treatment at home. They are the experts after all, and can help you decide which acne treatment is best for you. If you are interested in purchasing a Blue Light unit for home use, your dermatologist may be able to inform you of a few issues to watch out for, or even put you in contact with a Blue Light system distributor he trusts.

Some experts claim that laser and light therapy is this century's alternative to traditional treatments. These technologies have been successfully applied to treating acne and other skin diseases. Many acne sufferers who were disappointed with all other methods have found a solution for their problem in blue light acne treatment.

Benefits of Blue Light Acne Treatment

Blue light acne treatment focuses on eliminating P. acnes, the bacteria that causes to acne eruptions. This bacteria pumps out some molecules called porphyrins. When these molecules are exposed to blue light, they release free radicals that kill the bacteria.

Blue light acne treatment has several benefits in comparison to other therapies:

* It is a totally natural and has no side effects.
* It is safe to use daily and for all ages.
* Unlike other light therapies, it doesn't contain UV light that can hurt your skin.
* It is painless and you can do it in your own home.

Research Data

Data from clinical trials on blue light therapy has revealed that is a promising acne treatment. Patients involved in the studies have received the blue light acne treatment in several session, each lasting about 15 minutes. Many of them, but not all, have registered significant improvement after the treatment, with approximately 55% clearance. Side effects were only mild and included short-term pigment changes, dryness and swelling of the treated area.

Taiwan: Thirty-one patients with facial acne on both sides have received blue light acne treatment only on one side, while the other has received no treatment at all. The therapy was given twice a week for four weeks. In the end, it was concluded that blue light acne treatment is effective unless the patient suffers from cystic acne, which often worsens when treated with blue light.

United States: Twenty-five patients suffering from inflammatory acne were treated with blue light therapy on one side (8 sessions in 4 weeks) and with clindamycin on the other (twice a day for 4 weeks). In the end, researchers compared the results for the two treatments. The side treated with clindamycin showed an approximately 22% improvement, while the one treated with blue light therapy showed around 40% improvement. However, after 8 weeks of no treatment, the clindamycin side had maintained the results better.

Israel: Three separate studies on 10, 13 and 25 patients suffering form inflammatory acne were conducted in order to measure the effects of blue light acne treatment. In all of the three studies, over 80% of all patients responded well to the treatment, showing between 59% and 67% improvement.

Japan: 30 patients suffering from mild to moderate acne received a blue light acne treatment twice a week for up to five weeks. For 80% of all patients, the lesions decreased by approximately 64%. The rest of them experienced negative or no effects.

Unfortunately, the number of individuals involved in these research studies is too small. Generally, clinical trials aimed to test new treatments enroll hundreds or even thousands of patients. Considering the small numbers involved in the blue light acne treatment studies, no statistically valid conclusion can be drawn. However, these studies do reveal that blue light therapy has positive effects on some individuals suffering from acne. It gives best results for inflammatory acne and may not be safe to use on patients with cystic acne lesions.

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About Author

Both Alisia Friend & Michael Morris are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Alisia Friend has sinced written about articles on various topics from Acne Treatment, Makeup and Sleep Disorders. To read more about how to get rid of acne please read my blogs at: . Alisia Friend's top article generates over 110000 views. to your Favourites.

Michael Morris has sinced written about articles on various topics from Acne Treatment, Astrology and How to Sell on Ebay. Michael Morris . Michael Morris's top article generates over 8100 views. to your Favourites.