In today’s blog post, we’re going to discuss a newer form of acne treatment called blue light acne treatment. At the Advanced Acne Institute we have many patients who are looking for effective treatment options but who wish to avoid taking oral medications. This is where an option like blue light acne treatment can be useful.

Blue light acne treatment is a new treatment option

Treatment of acne with blue light is a relatively new treatment method. It works by activating certain chemicals inside of bacteria that live and grow within acne-prone pores. It can be a very helpful treatment option for many acne patients. It especially appealing to those who are concerned over side effects of oral medications.

This form of acne treatment involves shining a special blue light apparatus onto the areas of skin affected by acne. The treatment is initially repeated once per week. The treatment sessions are usually 20 minutes long and easily tolerated. Patients often listen to music or just relax during the treatments. This acne treatment is not painful and does not leave the skin sensitive.

Patients must be screened for blue light acne treatment

Patients receiving blue light acne treatment must be screened to be sure that they have no underlying medical condition that makes them sensitive to light. It is also important to make sure that they are not taking any medications that can make them sensitive to light exposure. Also, any sunblock or other lotions are removed from the skin before beginning each blue light session.

Blue light treatment requires multiple sessions for best results

It usually takes multiple blue light treatment sessions before significant results are seen. Sometimes it can take 10 sessions or more before results are noticed. There are some patients who begin to show improvement earlier in the treatment course but the usual response is not seen until later in the treatment. Overall, many patients do very well and feel very satisfied with the results. Some patients do not do as well and ultimately require other forms of therapy. usually this is because their acne is more severe and resistant to treatment overall.

Patients tolerate blue light treatment very well and are happy with their results

One of the nice things about blue light acne treatment is that is has very little risk for side effects. Patients tolerate the treatment very well and are happy with their improvement. It’s a great treatment option for patients with a variety of acne types and provides an alternative treatment option for those who are seeking a treatment with no down time and a small side effect profile. At the Advanced Acne Institute, we have a growing list of patients receiving this form of acne treatment with very positive results.