Light-based treatment for severe acne has been gaining impact and popularity in the general public in recent years. According to the recently published issue of Expert Review for Clinical Pharmacology, lasers are now the most common form of light therapy for acne being used by many medical professionals. In fact, a range of treatment using the light therapy are being investigated, the most common of which are blue light, blue-red light, narrow-band light and pulse-dyed laser. Early studies regarding these types of light therapy show that these are most effective when used together with medical therapy for acne. However, they can also serve as the primary therapy for those patients who refuse medical treatment and those who have difficulty or adverse reactions with other treatment modalities.
How does light therapy work?
According to the aforementioned study by the Expert Review for Clinical Pharmacology, the mode of action of light therapy is its exertion of cytotoxic effect, or cell death, to the bacteria that commonly causes acne. Other forms of light therapy also have the ability to decrease the size of sebum producing glands therefore decreasing the production of sebum, the oily substance that causes acne by clogging the skin pores.
However, according to this aforementioned source, the present number of clinical studies that show the safety and effectiveness of light therapy for acne treatment is still limited. Furthermore, the long-term effect of this treatment modality is still unknown. Thus, it is still not recommended as a first-line treatment for acne outbreak.
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