Light Therapy for Acne with Blue Light

The use of lasers and other forms of light therapy is being hailed by some as the 21st century's answer to age-old medical problems. Acne and other skin problems have been effectively treated using this technology. There are many acne patients who have found success with blue light acne therapy after trying everything else without success.

Advantages of Blue-Light Therapy for Acne

Acne-causing P. acnes bacteria are the target of blue light therapy. Porphyrins are a type of chemical that is actively produced by this bacteria. The blue light from the LEDs causes these molecules to disperse free radicals, which in turn destroy the bacteria.

When compared to alternative treatments, blue light therapy for acne has various advantages.

Completely safe and all-natural, it causes no discomfort. Anybody of any age can use it every day without worry. It's safe for your skin since, unlike some other light therapies, it doesn't use ultraviolet (UV) radiation. It causes little discomfort and can be done at home.

Evidence-Based Studies

Clinical trial results suggest blue light therapy could be an effective method for treating acne. In the research, acne patients underwent many 15-minute sessions of blue light therapy. Not all patients have shown complete resolution of their symptoms, although over 55% have done so after undergoing this treatment. Pigment changes, dryness, and swelling of the treated area were the only noticeable negative effects.

Thirty-one individuals in Taiwan who have acne on both sides of their faces have been treated with blue light acne therapy on one side only. Treatment was administered twice weekly for a total of four weeks. Blue-light acne treatment was found to be successful, with the exception of patients with cystic acne, whose condition generally worsens when exposed to the light.

Twenty-five Americans with inflammatory acne were split in half and given clindamycin or blue light therapy (8 sessions over 4 weeks; twice a day for 4 weeks). Results from the two interventions were compared at the study's conclusion. One side improved by around 22% after clindamycin treatment, while the other improved by about 40% after blue light therapy. However, the clindamycin group's findings held up better after 8 weeks of nontreatment.

The efficacy of blue light acne treatment was evaluated in three studies in Israel, involving a total of 25 individuals with inflammatory acne, ages 10 to 13. Between 59% and 67% improvement was seen across all three investigations, meaning that over 80% of patients overall reacted favorably to treatment.

30 people with moderate acne were treated with blue light acne treatment twice weekly for up to five weeks in Japan.There was a 64% reduction in lesion size for 80% of patients. Everyone else felt either no effect at all or a negative one.

The problem with these studies is that there aren't enough participants. Many hundreds or thousands of people participate in clinical trials to evaluate potential new medicines. Studies on the efficacy of blue light as a treatment for acne have been conducted, but their sample sizes are too small to allow for reliable statistical analysis. The studies do show, however, that certain acne sufferers benefit from blue light therapy. Results are best for inflammatory acne, and it may not be safe for those with cystic acne lesions.