Reasons Why Blue Light Acne Treatment Has Become So Helpful at Eliminating Acne

Blue light acne treatment is valuable in helping to get rid of acne. You need to appreciate why blue light is so successful against acne.

Acne is a common skin condition among adolescents and many adults. Surplus skin oil (sebum) mixes with dead skin cells to block the pores and create pimples. Once a pore becomes plugged the bacteria trapped in the pore start to multiple and infect neighboring tissues. This results in the redness and soreness often linked to acne.

There are three common therapies connected with acne prevention. First, cleansing is used to eliminate surplus skin oil on the surface. A mild anti-bacterial cream or gel is next used to kill surface bacteria. Dead skin cells are loosened with an exfoliant to allow them to be washed away. By eliminating the three components required for acne (surplus oil, bacteria, and dead skin cells) most acne will be prevented.

Blackheads or whiteheads are the preliminary expressions of a clogged pore. These are very small lesions and differ as a result of the location of the plug. With a blackhead, the clog is close to the surface where it can become oxidized and darken. When the clog descends a short distance into the pore the top of the pore can close over the plug and the plug remains light colored and forms a whitehead.

When the bacteria start to multiple in the plugged up pore the cells adjacent to the pore become irritated and become red, forming a pimple. The blemish can become more serious when the infection spreads outside the pore. Pressure on the pimple can drive the infection into the sebaceous gland and in some cases split the cell structure enabling the infection to spread to lower layers of the skin.

One solution to managing active acne would be to destroy the bacteria at the location of the pimple. This will reduce the irritation and decrease the size and intensity of the blemish. Though some anit-biotic prescription medicines are prescribed for serious acne, most people will benefit to a great extent from more localized therapies.

One such therapy is acne light treatment. While sunlight has always been know to help acne, scientists examined specific colors of the spectrum to determine more particularly the range of colors that were actually effective. One of the first groups to delve into this subject established that light in the violet range activated an organic compound, a porphyrin, in the acne causing bacteria, Propionibacterium acnes. A singlet oxygen is released by a porphyrin component comprising the bacteria which helps destroy the bacteria.

To work against the quickly multiplying bacteria, several consecutive treatments are required to kill the whole set of bacteria in a pimple. As soon as the bacteria are gone, the swelling decreases and the cells start to heal.

Obviously, the blue light could be delivered by full spectrum sunlight. But now specialized lasers, fluorescent lamps, as well as LEDs (light emitting diodes) are used to deliver the exact wavelength of light which is most effective. An array of special fluorescent lights is used in the Dusa Blue Light device, often used by dermatologists, to deliver a 400 nm wavelength blue light. In addition, many dermatologists use Levulan (aminolevulinic acid) on problem areas before the light therapy. The Levulan is photosensitive and under blue light helps damage certain skin cells.

A single therapy session in a dermatologists office may cost $200 or more. But, you can find a variety of devices you can buy to be used right in your own home that many individuals find effective. Competition is keeping the price for many of the devices in an affordable range from around $40 to $300 or so.

Keep in mind that blue light acne treatment is not going to produce instant results as the skin has to heal. But many of us find blue light acne therapy more practical than benzoyl peroxide and less irritating to their skin.