Although light therapy is not routinely advised by dermatologists for treating acne, nonetheless, studies have shown that light treatment could be used as an alternative to common acne treatments.
Light therapy for acne
Acne heals rapidly when the skin is exposed to sunlight. Perhaps by killing the harmful skin bacteria the ultraviolet radiations of the sun promote acne healing. However, this natural acne treatment with sunlight is not advisable.
It is a common knowledge that prolonged exposure to sunlight damages the skin and increases the risk of skin cancer. Researchers have found that the visible violet or blue light could be used for treating acne without harming the skin.
Treat acne with blue light therapy
A bacterium known as Propionibacterium acnes is associated with acne development. Blue light present in the visible range of sunlight could kill the bacteria linked to acne.
Blue light therapy is best suited for treating acne vulgaris, an inflammatory skin condition that refuses to respond to standard acne medications. Absence of ultraviolet rays in the blue light therapy reduces the risk of skin damage. Therefore, this light treatment is safe for the skin.
Usually a blue light therapy session lasts for about 15 minutes. usually two sessions per week are needed to heal acne within four weeks. However, blue light therapy might not be safe for treating nodulocystic acne.
This severe form of acne is characterized by numerous large and deep pus filled lesions that usually cause severe scarring of the skin. In a Taiwanese study, researchers have observed that blue light therapy tends to worsen nodulocystic acne.
ALA and light therapy
Acne could be cured rapidly by combining ALA topical medications with light therapy. A solution containing ALA or 5-aminolevulinic acid is applied to the affected area of the skin.
The ALA solution increases the skin’s sensitivity to light. the medication is left on the skin for up to 60 minutes. the ALA medication is then removed from the skin and blue light is applied to heal the acne.
