0 What laser and light treatments are available to treat my acne?

Laser stands for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation." Laser energy can be provided by various sources, i.e. from a gas to a liquid to a solid.

These energy sources allow for specific wavelengths of light to be intensified and directed through a column to our sebaceous gland (i.e. oil-producing grand located in the deeper layers of our skin, and are attached to the hair follicles. The oil produced can travel up the follicle to end up on the surface of our skin) or melanin high up or deeper in or within our skin. Also, it can target water in the skin or various components of blood vessels within our skin. In short, it works to heat and damage the skin in a very specific ways without damaging the surrounding skin tissue, hence in the process of healing our skin will look clear and healthy, i.e. without acne or broken blood vessels or brown spots or even wrinkles. Studies have shown that the longer the wavelength, the deeper the light will penetrate. Additionally, there are specific elements in our skin that prefer certain wavelengths of light.

On the other hand, intense pulsed light devices are similar to lasers with the exception that they use a wider range of wavelengths as opposed to only one single beam of light. From the acne clear and acne care point of views, this is very useful as it helps us to target our source within a range of light.

What was noted is that, CO2 lasers were used to heat water within our skin in the past, however, this method is not perfect as it would cause destruction of the upper layers of our skin and sometimes may go even deeper. Usually, a 2 to 3 months’ healing time is quite common, after which there could still be redness for months, and then areas of our skin could appear darker or lighter than the adjacent skin. This treatment is not recommended for the treatment of active acne, or for those within 6 months of taking oral isotretinoin, nevertheless, it is still being used to treat certain types of acne scarring.

The advances in technology have made newer acne devices more effective and specific to target the source of our acne, and within a broader context without damaging the surrounding skin, i.e. the sebaceous gland, the P. acnes bacterium (i.e. short for Propionibacterium acnes, a bacterium that grows and flourishes under certain condition and is the main culprit for inflammatory acne), or the blood vessels that supply the swelling and redness. Additionally, those acne treatments can be done over time without limiting the activities of the person being treated. In short, the newer acne devices are more accessible and more useful in the treatment of many skin conditions, and caused less painful experience than the earlier devices.

It was learnt that the FDA has approved several lasers and light systems for the treatment of acne. Basically, they are designed to treat inflammatory acne associated with the active growth of P. acnes, and are not effective if we have only blackheads (i.e. also called open comedo, is a type of acne that does not contain active bacteria. Is the result of the follicle that have turned black after exposure to oxygen) or whiteheads (i.e. white bumps in our skin that are closed to the the surface. Is a type of acne lesion, also called closed comedo).

Listed below are the laser and other related procedures for reference:

Laser

• OmniLux - blue light
• OmniLux Revive - red light
• Smoothbeam - is a diode laser that used to treat both acne and depressed scars caused by acne. This laser emits energy at 1450-nm. Statistics showed 6 months remission of acne lesions after treatment.
• Aura (KTP - green light)
• CoolTouch - is a 1320-nm laser system that is used for back acne and acne scars. CoolTouch works by targeting the sebaceous glands without damaging our skin's surface.
• Nlite-V - a 585-nm pulsed dye laser that is used for moderate inflammatory acne on the face. Nlite-V emits a wavelength of yellow light that heats our small blood vessels, as well as encouraging the healing and stimulating the collagen (i.e. protein that is responsible for the elasticity of the skin and plays an important role in the development of scars) production.
• CO2 - will heat up larger areas of our skin and can have a significant amount of healing or down time associated with them. It is used to treat certain types of acne scars that are not very deep, and also commonly used to treat signs of sun damage and wrinkles.
• Erbium - as in CO2.

Intense pulsed light

• ClearLight - is the first device to get clearance from the FDA for the treatment of acne. It is used to treat moderate to severe inflammatory acne (i.e. a class of acne where the main lesions are papules and pustules but not comedones). ClearLight works by targeting the bacterium P. acnes by using high intensity light to excite specific elements of P. acnes and to destroy them without harming the surrounding tissue.

Light-emitting diodes

• OmniLux Blue - a new type of system that uses light-emitting diodes in the visible spectrum at 415-nm and is used to treat mild to moderate inflammatory acne, and that treatment are generally well tolerated.

Radiofrequency (is produced by an electrical current instead of a light source and can penetrate more deeply through our skin. It is safer because it is not scattered by tissue or absorbed by melanin.)

• Aurora

Experimental

• Pulsed dye therapy

What we could say about the trend ahead is that advances in technology will sure help in better understanding our acne clear and acne care needs, and to expand their uses in very specific ways for us to better manage to have an acne free complexion.