Acne vulgaris is one of the most
common and resistant skin conditions to affect humans. Indeed,
regardless of skin type, lifestyle or cleanliness, approximately 80%
of the population will suffer from acne at some point in their
lives, with a staggering 70% of adolescents developing acne. Yet
many sufferers fail to respond adequately to current treatment
options and/or develop problematic side effects. In addition, the
cost and duration of acne treatment with topical applications and
oral antibiotics make standard therapy far from ideal.
Acne usually starts in adolescents as an affect of hormonal changes,
however, acne can also start in peoples 20's and 30's.
Acne is the result of the obstruction and inflammation of the
sebaceous gland. The obstruction of the glands' openings causes the
accumulation of sebum, which is inevitably followed by a build up of
bacterial population, or more specifically Propionibacterium acnes
(P. acnes). As part of the process, P. acnes attract inflammatory
cells, which cause the red and painful expression of acne. These
inflamed pustules can lead to permanent scaring
Some studies show that blue and
red light
at a specific wavelengths act together in clearing acne by combining
antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activity, and that
blue-red light
phototherapy is an effective and safe treatment for acne . As
published in the British Journal of Dermatology, Phototherapy with
blue and red light was studied in the treatment of mild to moderate
acne . After 12 weeks of 15-minute daily active treatments with a
portable light source, a mean improvement of 76% in inflammatory
lesions was observed. Investigators and patients favored
blue-red
light therapy, with more patients achieving marked improvement or
clearance than in any of the other treatment group.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT THE FOLLOWING:
