DUSA® - Innovation in Photodynamic Therapy as Acne Treatment
What is acne, and why is it so hard to control?
There are many types of acne. The most common is called acne vulgaris. Almost everyone goes through a period of acne at one time or another. Just beneath the surface of the skin lie hundreds of tiny glands called sebaceous glands. Their function is to collect and excrete the oily substance called sebum, to keep the skin healthy.
However, the tiny pathway for the sebum to escape often becomes clogged, and a bacterium called p. acne grows inside. In a short time, the area swells up, and forms a pimple on the skin. At certain times of life, this process becomes very active, troublesome and hard to control.
Is there a new way to control moderate acne?
There are many skin care products and treatments for moderate acne—creams, washes, medications—mild ones and very strong ones. However, your doctor may decide that certain medications, such as antibiotics, aren't right for you. Your case of moderate acne may not be responding to medications or other conventional acne treatment. It may be hard for you to keep up with complicated routines of skin care. Maybe it's time to consider something new.
What's the Blue Light Treatment? How does it work?
There is now a new acne treatment available that doesn't depend on medication. It's called the BLU-U Blue Light Photodynamic Therapy Illuminator Model 4170. The BLU-U is a very special blue light that can kill the p. acne bacteria in your skin. This acne treatment is simple—you sit with your face close to the light for a short time on a schedule set up by your doctor, usually a 15-minute session about once or twice per week. The treatments may go on for five weeks or so. These skin care treatments are very safe, not hot, and not painful at all. After some weeks, the blue light can control your acne or clear it up for a very long period. The BLU-U was cleared by the FDA in 2003 for the acne treatment of moderate inflammatory acne vulgaris.
Where can I try the BLU-U blue light?
The BLU-U is available in the offices of dermatologists, who specialize in skin treatments. You can contact our dermatology office to determine if your case of moderate acne is right for BLU-U Blue Light Treatment. At this time, most insurance companies list the BLU-U Blue Light as a cosmetic treatment, so you must pay the dermatologist yourself. But as an alternative to medications or antibiotics, it might be just what you need.
Acne at any age
Not exclusive to teenagers, many young adults, people in their 20s and 30s, have trouble with acne that is hard to control. The BLU-U Treatment – using light without drugs or antibiotics – may be something for you to try. Contact us today.
