What Is Blue Light Acne Therapy?

Blue light acne therapy is a form of laster acne light therapy that uses high-intensity, narrow-band blue light to treat acne that has become resistant to creams and ointments. Blue light acne therapy contains no ultraviolet rays, so it does not damage or burn the skin and surrounding tissue. Blue light is a type of acne light therapy that targets the sebaceous glands and kills the bacteria that cause acne breakouts.

Patients who opt for blue light acne therapy can expect to go for at least two to four sessions before seeing results. Often blue light acne therapy is combined with a photosensitizing cream (called Levulan) which improves results and shortens sessions. Blue light acne therapy lasts 20 to 30 minutes per session when the photosensitizing cream is not used, or 8 to 10 minutes per session when the photosensitizing cream is added as part of the treatment. Session cost about $40 each, or can be purchased as part of a full package for as much as $1100.

Blue light acne therapy has been approved by the FDA and is fairly safe and noninvasive. Patients who go for blue light treatments alone experience very few side effects, and most commonly no side effects at all. Most people who try this form of acne light therapy can go right back to their regular daily routine when the treatment is ended.

When blue light acne therapy is combined with the Levulan photosensitizing solution, some people experience mild redness and swelling for an hour or two after each session. Some people may find that they are irritated by the Levulan solution and have to discontinue it. Patients who can tolerate Levulan in combination with blue light acne therapy typically achieve faster and more thorough results than patients who use only the blue light alone.

Not all patients will see results from blue light acne therapy. Acne is caused by a number of different factors. The best candidates for successful blue light acne therapy are patients whose acne is of the traditional kind caused by bacteria that breed in the sebaceous glands underneath the skin, and patients whose acne has become resistant to treatment with creams and ointments. Acne patients should ask their dermatologist if their specific type of acne might respond to blue light acne therapy.

Once it becomes apparent that blue light acne therapy is helping to clear a patient’s acne, blue light sessions have to be continued in order to maintain the effect. Maintenance sessions can be spaced farther apart in some cases, but if treatment is discontinued the acne will usually return.

For acne that is very resistant to conventional treatments, blue light acne therapy is usually worth trying for at least four to six weeks. Blue light therapy is very safe and mild, and the cost is not prohibitive for patients who just want to give it a try. Within a month or so the patient will know whether or not blue light acne therapy is working, and can discontinue the sessions if it is not helpful.

Related links:

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Blue Light therapy for Acne: How It Works

The Wikipedia page about Acne vulgaris