Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Anyone know anything about ' light' treatment for acne?

Acne is a skin condition that causes spots. Most people affected by acne are aged between 12 and 25. However, men and women in their 30s and 40s can also suffer. There are many treatments available to help deal with the condition.





What is acne?


Acne is a skin condition that typically causes one or more of the following:





blackheads (comedones)


whiteheads


red or yellow spots


greasy skin


scars


Acne typically affects the skin of the face, back, neck, chest and arms and the severity of the condition can vary.





Acne affects people of all skin colours. The processes that cause acne are exactly the same in people with black or brown skin but the impact is altered by the skin pigmentation.





Acne is very common and affects about 80 in 100 people aged 11-30 at some time.





The skin


The surface of the skin has lots of small sebaceous glands just below the surface. These glands make an oily substance called sebum that keeps the skin smooth and supple.





Tiny pores (holes in the skin) allow the sebum to come to the skin surface. Hairs also grow through these pores.








Illustration showing the structure of skin





What causes acne?


Acne is caused by the overactivity of the sebaceous glands that secrete oily substances onto the skin.





The sebaceous glands of people with acne are especially sensitive to normal blood levels of a hormone called testosterone, found naturally in both men and women.





Testosterone in people prone to acne triggers the sebaceous glands to produce an excess of sebum. At the same time, the dead skin cells lining the openings of the hair follicles (the tubes that hold the hair) are not shed properly and clog up the follicles.





These two effects combined cause a build-up of oil in the hair follicles. This causes blackheads and whiteheads to form.





For some people, their acne does not progress beyond this stage.





However in other people, the build-up of oil in the hair follicles creates an ideal environment for a bacterium called Propionibacterium acnes to grow.





These bacteria normally live harmlessly on your skin but when this ideal environment is created, they grow. They feed off the sebum and produce substances that cause a response from your body's immune system. This inflames the skin and creates the redness associated with spots.





In more severe 'inflammatory acne', cysts develop beneath the skin's surface. These acne cysts can rupture, spreading the infection into nearby skin tissue. This can result in scarring.





Acne myths


Contrary to popular belief acne is not caused by:





eating fatty food or chocolate


dirt - blackheads get their dark colour through excess skin pigment - not dirt so washing more does not help, although if you do not wash your skin at all, bacteria will be able to multiply


Acne is not contagious, so you cannot catch it.





What makes acne worse?


There are a number of things that can make your acne worse. These include the following:





picking and squeezing the spots may cause further inflammation and scarring


stress can make acne worse in some people, although it is not clear why


in women, outbreaks may be affected by the hormonal changes that occur during the menstrual cycle


excessive production of male hormones such as testosterone from conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome may be another cause. For more information, please see the separate BUPA factsheet Polycystic ovary syndrome


some contraceptive pills may make acne worse. This is due to the type of progestogen hormone in some pills whereas some other types of contraceptive pills can improve acne - see Treatments section below. Your GP will advise you which contraceptive pill to take


some medicines can make acne worse. For example, some medicines taken for epilepsy, and steroid creams and ointments that are used for eczema. Do not stop a prescribed medicine if you suspect it is making your acne worse, but tell your GP. An alternative may be an option


steroids can cause acne as a side-effect


Diagnosing acne


Acne is easily recognised by the appearance of the spots, and by their distribution on the body.





There are several varieties of acne and your doctor will be able to tell you which type you have after examining your skin.





Treatment


Acne may cause you considerable emotional distress but there is a range of treatment options to help you tackle the problem. No treatment will completely 'cure' your acne. The aims of treatment are to prevent new spots forming, to improve those already present, and to prevent scarring.





Home treatment


It is important to keep spot-prone areas clean, so wash the affected area twice a day with an unperfumed cleanser.The skin needs a certain amount of oil to maintain its natural condition, so avoid aggressive washing with strong soaps.





There are a number of over-the-counter remedies available from pharmacies to treat mild acne. These usually contain antibacterial agents such as benzoyl peroxide (eg Oxy and Clearasil Max).





As well as its antibacterial effects, benzoyl peroxide can dry out the skin and encourage it to shed the surface layer of dead skin. Together, these effects make it harder for pores to become blocked and for infection to develop.





Benzoyl peroxide can cause redness and peeling, especially to start with. This tends to settle down if you reduce the number of times you use it. You can then build up your use gradually.





No home treatments for acne will work immediately. It can take weeks, if not months, for significant effects to be noticeable. If home treatments have not worked after two months, or you have severe acne, you should visit your GP.





Prescription medicines


Your GP may start your treatment by prescribing a preparation containing benzoyl peroxide. If this does not work, or if you have more severe acne, there are a range of other treatment options that you can either rub onto your skin (topical) or take in tablet form (oral).





Topical treatments


There are several topical treatments you may be prescribed including those listed below:





azelaic acid (Skinoren) is an alternative to benzoyl peroxide and may not make your skin as sore as benzoyl peroxide


topical retinoids (eg Adapalene) are medicines based on vitamin A, which are rubbed into the skin once or twice a day. They work by encouraging the outer layer of skin to flake off


a topical antibiotic lotion applied to the skin can be used to control the P. acnes bacteria (eg Dalacin T). Treatment needs to continue for at least six months. Preparations that combine an antibiotic with other acne medication are available (eg Benzamycin which combines an antibiotic with benzoyl peroxide)


Oral treatments


There are several oral treatments you may be prescribed including those listed below:





oral antibiotics (tablets), such as tetracycline, can be prescribed for inflammatory acne. They should be taken daily for around three months, although it might take four to six months for the benefits to be seen. The success of this treatment can be limited because the strains of bacteria are often resistant to the common antibiotics. Antibiotics do not prevent pores from becoming blocked so treatment to prevent blackheads, such as benzoyl peroxide, is often also prescribed at the same time


some types of oral contraceptive tablets help women who have acne. A combination of the usual pill hormone called ethinylestradiol with cyproterone acetate (eg Dianette) suppresses male hormone activity so is often used in women with acne


isotretinoin (eg Roaccutane) is a medicine known as an oral retinoid, which also exists in a topical form (see above). Isotretinoin works by drying up oily secretions. It tends to be prescribed to people with severe forms of acne that have proved resistant to other treatments. There a number of serious side-effects of this drug, such as liver disorders and depression. You should not take isotretinoin if you are pregnant, as it is very dangerous to an unborn baby. For safety reasons, isotretinoin is only prescribed under the supervision of dermatology specialistsAnyone know anything about ' light' treatment for acne?
Yes. This is one of many treatments I have tried over the years. Sadly wasn't effective for me. Still in search. I honestly believe that there really is no 'cure'.Anyone know anything about ' light' treatment for acne?
not that one were you turn the lights off so you cant see them. lol dosnt work, when you put the lights back on they come back too!





go to a chemist/pharmacy , they will give you the best advice, since there trained to advise for all sorts of medical things. and are qualified like a doctor.
I have looked this up and im not sure whether this treatment would be effective or not and it can also be expensive. The best thing I have discovered for acne is calamine lotion. Put loads of it on before you go to bed so your face is white and you should be surprised when you wake up the next morning! It has made the biggest difference to me so far and ive tried almost everything except accutane.
never heard of light treatment for acne, but my son had light threapy for his ecezma which worked wonders. maybe they do it for acne especially if it is severe.
it has not been shown to be especially effective.


save your $$$ and wash with cetophil twice a day. after that use a drying/peeling agent on your skin to slough off the dead cells that cause acne. a good one is neutrogena on the spot or clean %26amp; clear with salicyclic acid
i don't know any ';light'; treatment but i know about johnson %26amp;johnson's clean %26amp;clear acne kit!
Ok Ive dealt with this b-fore. I notice you said light acne. you may want to wash your face with a soap called Purpose which is recommended by dermatologists. It can b found at any pharmacy like Walgreens or u can use Clearasil face wash, it is pretty good. For overnight treatment use clearasil vanishing overnite cream. Also try to buy zinc tablets and take one with food once a day. The only side effect is that u may become nauseous but it works. I hope I helped u out.
Moisturisers such as E45. DiproBase, from pharmacy or prescription for docs is excellent to replenish moisture into your skin!
treat acne from the inside don't drink to much milk cut out salt eat lots of fruit and veg and drink lots of water to flush out your body
It has long been known that short term improvement can be achieved with sunlight. However, studies have shown that sunlight worsens acne long-term. More recently, visible light has been successfully employed to treat acne (Phototherapy) - in particular intense violet light (405-420nm) generated by purpose-built fluorescent lighting, dichroic bulbs, LEDs or lasers. Used twice weekly, this has been shown to reduce the number of acne lesions by about 64%; and is even more effective when applied daily. The mechanism appears to be that a porphyrin (Coproporphyrin III) produced within P. acnes generates free radicals when irradiated by 420nm and shorter wavelengths of light. Particularly when applied over several days, these free radicals ultimately kill the bacteria. Since porphyrins are not otherwise present in skin, and no UV light is employed, it appears to be safe, and has been licensed by the U.S. FDA





The treatment apparently works even better if used with red visible light (660 nanometer) resulting in a 76% reduction of lesions after 3 months of daily treatment for 80% of the patients; and overall clearance was similar or better than benzoyl peroxide. Unlike most of the other treatments few if any negative side effects are typically experienced, and the development of bacterial resistance to the treatment seems very unlikely. After treatment, clearance can be longer lived than is typical with topical or oral antibiotic treatments; several months is not uncommon. The equipment or treatment, however, is relatively new and reasonably expensive to buy initially, although the total cost of ownership can be similar to many other treatment methods (such as the total cost of benzoyl peroxide, moisturiser, washes) over a couple of years of use.
No, i dont
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  • Red/blue Light treatment for acne?

    yesterday I've had a basic facial done and the aesthetician recommended I should have a series of 6 photo actif treatments (red/blue light) to help heal up my acne. This procedure would cost me $360. Is it worth the cost? I've tried all kinds of OTC acne products and have purchased some milder skin care products at the spa as well (also upon recommendation), but am wondering if the photo actif treatment will really make a difference. My skin shows healing of acne spots and does look better today.Red/blue Light treatment for acne?
    That's too expensive. There are manufacturers on the internet that sells red/blue light kits at home. but a ware that some of them are not so effective.Red/blue Light treatment for acne?
    try herbal remedies... they're cheaper and they work better.. they are 100% natural.. i use tea tree oil personally... and it does work.. i've also saw someone a minute ago tell someone Witch Hazel oil works too.





    http://www.getridofthings.com/tea-tree-o鈥?/a>

    Anyone used a laser treatment for acne called an N LIght and what were the results?

    I haven't used this treatment myself as I can't afford it, however a young lady who suffered with acne for years featured on the programme this morning, no antibiotics or creams worked, and she was so depressed over it she wouldn't look in a mirror she tried Roaccutane but it actually made her skin worse when she came off it and you can't stay on this drug forever as its too dangerous, but when she had laser treatment there were brilliant results, her skin is now clear and though she has to go for the odd extra treatment it has removed her spots and increased her self confidence, unfortunately its not yet available on the NHS (wish it was) and only a few clinics perform this procedure, the main one in the UK is in London, which is rather too far away for myself, I've had acne since the age of 11 and still have it at 24, despite what some people will lead you to believe there is no ';miracle cream/antibiotic'; especially from your doctor, it depends on the individual but often medications prescribed by your dermatologist don't have much effect as they are only targeting the symptom of spots not the cause, I've tried lots of so called spot removal creams in chemists such as Boots and they have had zero effect as my condition is so severe they are only aimed at individuals with much milder acne or just the odd spot, they are often relatively expensive and a waste of money and contain nasty ingrediants that can actually make your skin worse/redder, I know from experience, i'm sure you've found this out yourself if you have the opportunity to try N light, go for it , unlike Roaccutane it has no major side effects and is virtually harmless, obviously a small area of your skin will be tested first to insure your skin won't have a rare side effect to it, but you should be okay, I'm currently trying organic facial products which only contain natural ingredients and I'm also going to see a chinese herbalist to see what they recommend as they tend to try and deal with the cause of the acne, good luck!Anyone used a laser treatment for acne called an N LIght and what were the results?
    i highly don't recommend a laser treatment for acne. The results vary from people to people and not to mention it is very risky. Just wash your face frequently with acne medications like proactiv.

    Has anyone tried the Blu-U Light (or similar) acne treatment?

    No but my grannie swears by pine tar soap. My aunt made my boy cousins use it and in 2 weeks their faces looked a whole lot better. They had BAD pimples that were really big and gross!

    Does anyone have any experience with blue light acne treatments?

    I just got my blue light lamp in the mail today and I want to start using it tonight but I have my senior pictures tomorrow and I want to make sure the light wont make my face red for tomorrow...my skin isn't that sensitive but I've never used this kind of treatment before so i'm not sure how i'm going to react to it


    does anyone have any experience with this?Does anyone have any experience with blue light acne treatments?
    The function of the blue light therapy is to eliminate the bacteria that causes acne and to remedy the provocative acne vulgaris that had ignored all other kinds of acne treatments. The side effects you will experience from blue-light therapy maybe moderate. Examples of which are momentary skin coloring alterations, puffiness of the area that had received the therapy and a little dryness on your skin. These side effects are side-stepped by a favorable result that will improve your condition to as much as 55% skin clarity.Does anyone have any experience with blue light acne treatments?
    I've been in that situation and there is really nothing you can do about it. There are things you can do to try to reduce the blemishes and get rid of acne/pimples temporarily but you will always be finding yourself cleaning your face or your body depending on where it's at.





    I mean of course your acne should go away eventually but for some this is the case their whole life.





    I'm 29 years old and have been suffering from these little pests since I was a teenager. I tried all sorts of face washes from the local grocery store and what not, but nothing seemed to work. If anything it would just make my skin dry and itchy.





    Literally the best acne face wash I've ever used has been this stuff called clearpores. It has got rid of the acne to quickest and has been a success ever since I got it. It's unique cause of it's herbal supplement you take a long with it that helps your skin from the inside out. I saved money on it at skincleansingsystem.com at the time which was helpful.





    You should really look into this stuff and if you can to assure the best results, get the 3 month supply because if it doesn't work it will still save you butt on the return policy.





    Well good luck and best wishes.

    Has anyone had the blue light laser acne treatment? I am interested to know if it is effective for back acne.

    i did it once and didn't go back for another treatment. i had it done on my face, but i had a really hard time seeing afterrwards. it made my eyes all dark and blury. i guess you wouldn't have that problem if you had it done on your back.


    it can get expensive. if you don't see results with 2-3 treatments it isn't worth it.

    Does ANSR: light acne treatment work?

    I have tried proactive, acne free, aveeno, differin, tazorac, tetracycline, and minocycline and nothing works on my acne. I heard about this light treatment and i'm hesitant to buy it without knowing if it works or not. Another product i was looking at is skinid...how effective it that system?Does ANSR: light acne treatment work?
    Since ANSR beam is made of LED light. This wave is the same as the blue and red LED flashlight. I don't think people would spend hundreds dollars on just a LED lights. If you want to try, just go to any stores, and buy the LED flashlight, and then using on your face. I recommend WHITE LED one, because white color cover all the waves (include blue, red, green...etc.) Overall, in a scientific way looking about ANSR. If they're really working on treating ACNE, it won't be that Beam, it's actually their's solution on cleansing and lotions. At the end, honestly, I haven't heard anyone or any scientists says about Light beam (LED) will cure the acne. This ANSR Beam thing is just a scam.Does ANSR: light acne treatment work?
    I just ordered it online, it suppose to come the end of next week and i will post my progress!!!! check for a posting in a couple weeks! im crossing my fingers! Report Abuse

    Have you seen the ANSR website? My friend Apryl is part of the infomercial they show. Like you, she tried everything for a long time, and now is a tried and true ANSR fan. She has been using the phototherapy light and the lotions for more than a year and she looks so beautiful now that I can't even remember how horrible her acne was until I see her ';before'; photo on the commercial. She did a lot of research on all of this while she was a test subject and everything says that light therapy works and is safe. I bet it will work for you???? Check out the research on the website, its www.ANSR.com. Good luck!
    Most people want to treat acne scars rather than acne.It is like treating measles scars rather than measles.Acne is a skin condition caused by the internal imbalance.All medicines and creams which help to remove acne scars contain benzoyl peroxide.





    You can regain your internal balance and cure your acne completely and permanently by natural techniques.For, More Information,


    http://www.skin-care-reviews.co.cc


    Good Luck
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