Blue Light Therapy and Acne Types

• Before selecting Blue light therapy as a treatment option, you must first determine the type of acne or skin inflammation that is occurring on your skin. Some acne is cystic and genetic-based (vulgaris acne) or you might have eczema that is causing a red-skin inflammation. Alternatively, you might be suffering from rosacea, which is a chronic skin disease, causing dry, red skin. If you have these skin conditions, blue light therapy is not an effective treatment. On the other hand, according to Mayoclinic.com, blue light therapy is effective at killing Propinoibacterium acne (bacteria-based acnes). A dermatologist uses a low-intensity blue light source, focusing it on the acne and skin inflammation to kill the underlying bacteria that is causing the inflammation and resulting acne.
  
  

Effectiveness

• According to Skincarephysicians.com, citing the study "New blue light edges out clindamyin," published in 2004 in Dermatology Times, blue light therapy is effective at treating bacterial-based acne. In the study, the patients treated with the therapy had significant reduction of their bacterial-based acne with at least a 39 percent reduction of the skin inflammation. Moreover a study conducted in 2003 for the Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy indicated that 80 percent of the patients in the study responded favorably to the blue light therapy treatment. In turn, recent clinical studies demonstrate that blue light therapy is effective at treating skin inflammation and acne that is the result of bacteria.
  
  

Side Effects and Costs

• Nonetheless, blue light therapy is not without side effects and costs. Before selecting blue light therapy as a treatment for your bacteria-based acne, consider that the cost of the treatment is about $200 per visit. Because the treatment is not a permanent solution, you must make repeat visits as the acne returns. According to TheDermBlog.com, a course of treatments is usually about eight visits, which is nearly $1,600. Additionally, the blue light therapy treatment can be a painful procedure. Even though the light is low-intensity, it does cause a stinging sensation. The stinging might be too painful for you, although most patients find it tolerable. Moreover, TheDermblog.com indicates that the blue light therapy makes your skin particularly sensitive to the sun after each treatment. Avoid sun exposure for at least 48 hours after treatment. If you don't avoid sun exposure, you might receive a sunburn that will only worsen your skin inflammation.