Best Acne Treatment: Photodynamic Blue Light

The Best Treatment for Stubborn Acne: Photodynamic Blue Light Therapy

Although acne is most common in teenagers, it can also afflict adults of any age. Because acne is associated with hormone surges, it can also be caused by pregnancy, birth control pills, and even certain steroidal medications such as prednisone, as well as the anabolic steroids used in bodybuilding.

Recently an increase in acne has also been linked to wearing facemasks – because they can block pores, and trap sweat, oil (sebum), bacteria, dirt and dead skin cells.

And, troublesome acne does not just occur on the face. Acne pimples can erupt on the back, shoulders, arms and even the buttocks. But no matter how old you are, and wherever you have acne, it can be frustrating, embarrassing and undermine your self-confidence.

However, as anyone with serious acne knows, over-the-counter acne treatments typically just aren’t strong enough to eliminate pimples and breakouts. Seeing a dermatologist to medically treat acne is not only the best way to eliminate eruptions, but it is also the most sure-fire way to avoid permanent acne scars.

Best Medical Acne Treatment: Blue Light Photodynamic Therapy

New York, NY board certified dermatologist Dr. Gary Goldenberg has numerous highly effective medical treatments to clear up acne. Prescription topical creams and gels, medications such as antibiotics, chemical peels, and even laser treatments (such as Laser Genesis) can all help minimize acne.

But many patients – especially adolescents – develop very stubborn acne that doesn’t improve with these “standard” treatments. That is why Dr. Goldenberg is so excited to provide new, state-of-the-art Blue Light Photodynamic Therapy for the long-term eradication of treatment-resistant acne.

How Blue Light Treats Acne

Every pore on the skin contains tiny oil-producing glands that keep skin moisturized, nourished, protected and healthy. But when this oil – along with dirt and dead skin cells – gets trapped inside the pores, they become clogged so that bacteria called Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) gets blocked inside. The infection from this bacterium then causes inflammation and swelling that erupts into ugly pus-filled pimples, cysts and pustules.

But the bacteria in the skin is very sensitive to certain types or “frequencies” of light. Photodynamic Therapy shines specific frequencies of blue light onto the patients’ skin, which kill these bacteria. The light therapy also breaks up the clogs – kind of like Drain-o for your pores – so that the dirt and dead skin cells can be extracted. Additionally, the blue light shrinks the oil glands in the skin, so it produces less pore-clogging sebum going forward, for very long lasting results!

A Better Kind of Light Therapy for Acne

Originally, some dermatologists used to treat acne with ultraviolet (UV) light rays – which killed bacteria, but also could damage the skin and even cause cancer.

But blue therapy kills acne-causing bacteria without damaging the skin. Because red and blue are opposite each other on the spectrum, the red pigment or hemoglobin in the acne absorbs the blue light – while the surrounding skin does not. The blue light goes to work killing the bacteria, while the rest of the skin is unaffected.

This means that the treatment is generally fairly comfortable – no stronger than a mild sunburn. And downtime is minimal, other than some mild redness or peeling for a few days.

Typically, Dr. Goldenberg will also apply a special medicine to the skin called a “photosensitizers” before the Blue Light treatment, to make the skin more sensitive and receptive to the light. Depending upon the severity of the acne, a series of multiple treatments performed at a period of two to four-week intervals may be needed for optimal results.

And, because photodynamic blue light therapy is natural and non-invasive, it can also be used in conjunction with many other acne treatments, such as topical retinoids or salicylic acid.

Photodynamic Blue Light Therapy for Acne | New York, NY

Goldenberg Dermatology in New York, NY is proud to offer Photodynamic Blue Light Therapy acne treatments – that can be more effective than conventional treatments for stubborn acne.  While many systemic medications that are commonly prescribed for severe acne (such as Accutane) have serious side effects, PDT light therapy does not have any known complications.

In fact, Photodynamic Blue Light Therapy is so harmless that it is even safe for use by pregnant women who are suffering from hormone-related acne. If you, or your teen, is suffering from stubborn, embarrassing acne there IS help!

Schedule an appointment at Goldenberg Dermatology in New York, NY today and see if photodynamic therapy may provide a safer and more effective alternative to your current acne treatments.

New York, NY Best Acne Treatment: 212-405-8202