Laser light therapy is a procedure most commonly used to help treat acne. There are both advantages and disadvantages to removing acne with this method, but, before informing consumers about these advantages and disadvantages, it is beneficial for patients to understand this and other treatments used to treat severe or even mild to medium acne problems. Traditional acne treatments usually start out with some type of topical ointment or cream and can progress to over-the-counter or prescription medications if the condition is very serious.
What Is Laser Light Therapy?
Laser Light Therapy is different than just normal laser therapy that has been used in the past to treat acne. It uses a blue colored light to absorb the bacteria in the skin, thus clearing up acne. This has been developed from the understanding that skin produces a product called porphyrin. Porphyrin is the absorbent factor in the blue light therapy. The reactive nature of the porphyrin causes a chemical reaction that destroys the bacteria in the skin, thus eliminating acne over time.
Advantages of Laser Light Therapy
The advantages of laser light therapy are many. Both red and blue light therapy can be highly beneficial to the skin. The greatest benefit of light therapy comes from what it actually does for patients' acne problems. As mentioned above, the blue light targets the Porphyrin in the skin that soaks up the bacteria, reducing acne.
Another advantage of blue light therapy is that it actually does not harm the skin at all. In fact, it does the opposite and helps to soothe and relieve pain that other laser acne treatments may worsen or cause.
The third and final advantage is the speed with which this procedure is performed. Most laser light acne treatments take between 10 and 15 minutes maximum to complete and can be repeated as often as needed, which leads to one of the disadvantages of this treatment as well.
Disadvantages of Laser Light Therapy
One of the main disadvantages of laser light therapy is the problem of sustainability. Because this treatment has not been formatted to completely treat and remove the acne, a repeat treatment must be performed every three to 12 months. Also, because this treatment is so relatively new and has to be performed on a repeated basis, doctors and scientists don't know if side effects will eventually come back to haunt patients who have received multiple treatments.
Other disadvantages of the laser light therapy are temporary pain, redness, swelling and sometimes dry skin. Hyper pigmentation or a darkening of the skin tone has also been reported as a disadvantage.
The final disadvantage of laser light therapy is the cost. This treatment, because it is performed by a specialist and uses special equipment, is often three to four times as expensive as traditional acne treatments.
